A Rare Sniff of the Corpse Flower (Titan Arum)

This week, AromaPrime's scenting consultant Liam experienced the odour of the infamous 'corpse flower' at Kew Gardens!

Otherwise known as the titan arum, this plant blooms incredibly rarely, just for a matter of hours. It was therefore a valuable opportunity to experience the fleeting stench released; many educational attractions aim to replicate the odour for their displays.

The purpose of the smell is to attract flies for pollination. Previously, AromaPrime's Rotting Flesh scent has been used as a recreation, because the original is said to be like rotting flesh or fish. Our Rotting Flesh interpretation actually includes a fishy note that makes it all the more relevant. A popular titan arum display we have worked on is the smell station at Plantasia, which involves a model of the plant alongside an interactive perfume bottle.

Liam R. Findlay, who experienced the titan arum blooming, says: "To visit a titan arum when it opens up is a rare and special treat that I have wanted to experience ever since I started as a merchant of malodours. At AromaPrime, it is very important to us that we have firsthand experience of these kinds of smells that attract such strong public interest.

"On this occasion, much of the plant's scent had already disappeared, which is reflective of just how rare it is to sniff, but when I leaned in, I did pick up a slight sweetness and leathery quality. I was glad to be reminded of our Rotting Flesh scent, which has been used for titan arum displays at attractions. Interestingly, I was also reminded of our Acrid Rubbish scent."