The chemistry of the corpse flower’s stink

What’s eight feet tall, has a creepy nickname, and can be smelled from miles away? It’s the rare titan arum plant, aka the corpse flower or Amorphophallus titanum, which just bloomed in the U.S. Botanic Gardens in Washington, D.C. The plant has an unpredictable blooming cycle that lasts years, and the corpse-like odor it emits attracts pollinating bugs like flies and dung beetles. In this video, the Botanic Garden’s public science educator Todd Brethauer explains the chemistry behind this legendary plant’s potent stink.

Produced by the American Chemical Society