The rare 'p3nis plant' just bloomed for the first time in over two decades

 

In a Netherlands garden blooms a rare plant with a tall, phallic shape. It's known as the "penis plant," and this is only the third time the species has flowered in Europe since 1997, according to the University of Leiden's botanical garden, Leiden Hortus Botanicus.
The six-year-old penis plant -- the scientific name for which is Amorphophallus decus-silvae -- was cultivated by garden volunteer Rudmer Postma, according to a news release. Garden personnel first noticed the flower bud in mid-September, and in just over a month, the bud has become about half a meter (over 3 feet) tall, with the narrow stem reaching up to 2 meters (over 6 feet) high.
"Few botanical gardens have Amorphophallus decus-silvae in their collection, making the flowering of the plant particularly rare," the release noted.

Native to tropical rainforest-rich Indonesia, the penis plant requires a very warm and humid growing environment and is therefore difficult to grow in Europe. But its terrible, pungent odor -- akin to rotting flesh -- helps gardeners predict when the plant will flower, which according to the release, happens in two stages: the female bloom phase and the male bloom phase.
During the female bloom phase, the white, phallus-shaped part of the flower called the spadix heats up and emits the stench.
"It didn't smell very bad yet, but (the odor) got more intense in the afternoon," said garden volunteer and yoga teacher Roos Kocken in a TikTok video she posted October 22.