As the fourth bloom of our 20 year old Amorphophallus titanum, nicknamed New Reekie, goes into decline, one or two of its progeny look set to take centre stage. From cuttings taken from the parent plant 12 years ago, at least one of the babies is now looking ready to bloom in private in our Glasshouses.

The expanding Amorphophallus titanum family here at RBGE continues to spark incredible interest, even when visitors are unable to come and see the plants for themselves. This excitement surrounding the plants could help with the species chance of survival in its natural habitats, the rainforests of Sumatra, Indonesia. The buzz from followers is creating global awareness.

New Reekie was gifted to RBGE as a corm from the Hortus Botanicus in Leiden, The Netherlands. It has so far produced nine leaves and four flowers. From studying and collecting new data on the plant, it has already taught us a great deal about the species.

It is because of recent successes and ongoing conversations that a joint project between Bogor Botanic Garden and RBGE helped re-assess the plants IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) status and now have the species recognised as endangered. The Botanics is also part of a project led by Chicago Botanic Garden which will DNA fingerprint A. titanum plants in cultivation from botanic gardens all over the world. This will allow us to see what genetic diversity exists in cultivation and will help inform how best to pollinate these isolated blooms.

The science and conservation horticulture will continue throughout the duration of the Edinburgh Biomes refurbishment programme and tropical plants, such as the Amorphophallus titanum, will play a huge role in welcoming visitors back to the new look Glasshouses.

 

Watch Baby Titan getting ready to bloom

 

Watch the spectacular blooming of New Reekie, 2022