Rare Corpse Flower Pete Set to Bloom at Geelong Botanic Gardens

Pete, a giant corpse flower currently standing at 1.5 metres tall, is expected to bloom within the next four days in regional Victoria.

The rare Amorphophallus titanum is being monitored at the Geelong Botanic Gardens, where it is predicted to undergo its brief, intense flowering period on or around Sunday. This event follows a significant precedent set in 2024, when a previous bloom at the same location drew more than 20,000 visitors and generated over 350,000 livestream views, according to the City of Greater Geelong.

The upcoming spectacle is more than a local curiosity; it represents a critical window for botanical research. Unlike the 2024 event, where staff were “learning on its feet,” the horticulture team has had two years to refine their response to this fleeting phenomenon, Times News Group reported.

“We’re going to be collecting pollen from Pete and hopefully using that to pollinate other plants or check viability,” said Claud Bell, Geelong Botanic Gardens horticulturist, told Times News Group. “We didn’t get the opportunity to do this last time, so it’ll be a really good learning for us.”

To trigger the bloom, the gardens’ greenhouse team must meticulously replicate the humid, high-temperature environment of the flower’s native Sumatran rainforests. The facility is maintained at approximately 27°C, utilizing a system of misting, fans, and ventilation to manage moisture levels without allowing the heat to become excessive, Times News Group reported.

As the plant unfurls, its biological processes shift to attract specific pollinators. Scientists are utilizing thermal imaging cameras to track the flower’s temperature, which is expected to rise to roughly 37°C during the bloom to assist in scent dispersal, City of Greater Geelong reported.

Rare Corpse Flower Pete Set to Bloom at Geelong Botanic Gardens — Photo: Times News Group

The primary mechanism for attraction is a pungent odor that mimics decaying organic matter. While many describe the scent as rotting flesh, Bell told Times News Group that the team previously noted it smelled “a bit like dead rat.”

The window for witnessing this event is exceptionally narrow. Once the bloom begins, the flower typically remains active for only 24 to 48 hours before wilting.

Metric	Value/Detail
Bloom Duration	24 to 48 hours
Current Height	Approximately 1.5 metres
Expected Bloom Temperature	Approximately 37°C
Greenhouse Ambient Temperature	Approximately 27°C
Growth Rate (Post-Dormancy)	5cm per day

The arrival of Pete’s bloom carries weight for the long-term survival of the species. Endemic to Sumatra and currently listed as endangered, these plants require years of energy accumulation to produce a single flower, City of Greater Geelong reported.

Pete was donated to the Geelong Botanic Gardens in 2021 after being propagated by the South Australia’s Botanic Gardens and State Herbarium. This lineage follows “Putricia,” another corpse flower that gained international notoriety during its bloom at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney last year, City of Greater Geelong reported.

While the bloom attracts many visitors, some observers argue that the intense focus on individual "celebrity" plants can overshadow other conservation efforts. However, horticulturists maintain that these spectacles are vital for public engagement and securing support for research into safeguarding endangered species.

For those unable to attend in person, the City of Greater Geelong is providing a livestream of the conservatory to allow global audiences to monitor the unfurling in real time.

The community is encouraged to visit the Conservatory to witness the bloom, though Bell advised patience in the event of long queues, Times News Group reported.