There’s a botanical coincidence of massive scale underway in greenhouses across the county. Capitol Hill’s own Volunteer Park Conservatory is about to join the great corpse flower bloom of 2016.
Here is the word from executive director Anthonio Pettit:
You and your readers may be interested to know about a new corpse has just arrived at Volunteer Park Conservatory!
It is currently on display in the Seasonal House, and is anticipated to fully bloom within the next two weeks.
The Amorphophallus titanum has been dubbed “Dougsley”; a portmanteau in honor of retired UW botanist Doug Ewing, and Pugsley of the Addams Family, on account of the wicked stench.
Full details can be found on our website:
Dougsley has arrived!
The Amorphophallus titanum — or, giant misshapen penis, today CHS learned — are special plants, number one, because they take around 10 years to form their first bloom and, um, for number two, because they release a foul, decaying flesh-like stench when they do. The last corpse flower hype at the Volunteer Park Conservatory came in the summer of 2014 — that bloom hit in mid-September.
This particular plant, according to the conservatory’s page on the stinker, is on loan from the University of Washington Biology Department.
Its nickname honors former greenhouse manager Doug Ewing who is credited with fifteen corpse flower blooms in his career, including two in Volunteer Park. Dougsley is reportedly little for its kind. The corpse flower was planted by Ewing 12 years ago.
Pettit said chatter around the greenhouse points to a trend of successful blooms, collection of viable seeds, and increased knowledge as helping to explain the nationwide trend of a summer of corpse flower stink — probably not the rise of Donald Trump and/or the pending apocalypse.
The conservatory is planning to keep Dougsley on display “until its bloom fades.” You’ll find Dougsley in the Seasonal House, available for viewing daily between 10 AM and 4 PM.
“The evening on which the corpse flower begins to open, we will be open late for observation, both visually and olfactory,” the conservatory announcement promises.
You can keep track of updates via Twitter @vpconservatory.
