Video courtesy WSU Vancouver Communications
Titan VanCoug, as it is known on campus, is on display outside (Wed., Aug. 17 only) the greenhouse at the east end of the Science and Engineering Building
VANCOUVER – The rare corpse flower housed at Washington State University Vancouver is in bloom. The university has four plants in one pot. The first bloom occurred in July 2019. The next largest corm is in bloom now.
Titan VanCoug, as it is known on campus, is on display outside the greenhouse at the east end of the Science and Engineering Building. You can learn more about Titan VanCoug by attending a Titan VanCoug Talk at the top of every hour on the patio outside the Dengerink Administration Building.
Members of the public are invited to come see this rare plant 8 a.m.–7 p.m. Wednesday (Aug. 17) only. Admission is free. Parking is free today only. The corpse flower is infamous for its odor — comparable to that of a decomposing animal — when it blooms. The bloom will last 24 to 48 hours. You can also see Titan VanCoug via webcam at youtube.com/wsuvancouver.
Come prepared with patience. Titan VanCoug’s 2019 bloom attracted 20,000 visitors to campus. Prepare for the weather, wear comfortable shoes, and bring water and snacks. The Crave Fresh Market will be open in the Dengerink Administration Building offering a variety of snacks and beverages for purchase.
About the corpse flower
The corpse flower (Latin name Amorphophallus titanum, also known as titan arum) is native to the limestone hills of Sumatra, Indonesia’s rainforests, the only place in the world where it naturally grows. They are among the world’s largest and rarest flowering structures. They bloom rarely — typically after seven to 10 years of growth and just once every four years or so afterward throughout a 40-year expected life span.
A corpse flower’s odor is not without reason. It’s meant to attract pollinators and help ensure the continuation of the species. Dung beetles, flesh flies and other carnivorous insects that typically eat dead flesh are attracted to the corpse flower.
About Titan VanCoug
Titan VanCoug has been raised by Professor Emeritus Steve Sylvester. He planted a seed from the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s titan arum plant, affectionately named Big Bucky, in 2002. He cultivated it in a pot on his desk until it grew too large to contain in such a small space. It has grown in a stairwell in WSU Vancouver’s Science and Engineering Building for some time.
A late bloomer at 17, Titan VanCoug’s first bloom was most likely delayed because its corm (tuber) cloned. Corpse flowers put up only one leaf at a time. The pot that contains Titan VanCoug has had as many as four leaves showing at once, evidence that four separate corms exist. Today’s bloom is likely from the second largest corm.
Learn more by visiting https://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/titan-vancoug-live-bloom
About WSU Vancouver
WSU Vancouver is located at 14204 N.E. Salmon Creek Ave. in Vancouver, east of the 134th Street exit from either I-5 or I-205, or via C-TRAN bus service. Find a campus map at vancouver.wsu.edu/map.
WSU Vancouver is in the homeland of Chinookan and Taidnapam peoples and the Cowlitz Indian Tribe. As one of six campuses of the WSU system, WSU Vancouver offers big-school resources in a small-school environment. The university provides affordable, high-quality baccalaureate- and graduate-level education to benefit the people and communities it serves. As the only four-year research university in Southwest Washington, WSU Vancouver helps drive economic growth through relationships with local businesses and industries, schools and nonprofit organizations.
Information provided by WSU Vancouver Communications.
Also read:
- BPA responding to widespread weather-related outages
Bonneville Power Administration crews are responding to more than 40 transmission outages caused by extreme weather across the Northwest. - Letter: A call for competent Interstate Bridge project management
Rick Vermeers argues that unchecked scope, rising costs, and missed timelines threaten the survival of the Interstate Bridge Replacement project unless light rail is removed. - CRESA officials ask public to call 911 only for emergencies during weather events
CRESA officials are urging residents to reserve 911 calls for life-threatening emergencies during weather events as storms continue to cause power outages and hazardous conditions. - Rep. John Ley introduces bill to balance representation on Washington transportation boards
Legislation introduced by Rep. John Ley seeks to change how transportation board seats are allocated and prevent funding penalties tied to population-based representation rules. - Woodland man arrested, charged with murder
A 67-year-old Woodland man was arrested after deputies found a deceased man hidden on his property following a 9-1-1 report of a homicide. - Wild windstorm knocks out power, closes roads, and cancels school throughout Clark County
A powerful windstorm tore through Clark County, leaving tens of thousands without power, forcing widespread school closures, and blocking roads with downed trees and debris. - Northwest just finished warmest fall on record, scientists report
Scientists report the Pacific Northwest experienced its warmest fall on record, with snowpack at the lowest level for this point in winter since tracking began in 2001.
