RARE TROPICAL CORPSE PLANT ON DISPLAY NOW
Posted by George Deatz
News Release
Thursday, Feb 25, 2010
For immediate release
Information submitted by Jeanne Duffey
VIEW RARE TROPICAL CORPSE PLANT, BEGINNING SUNDAY,
FEBRUARY 28, AT NATHANAEL GREENE/CLOSE MEMORIAL PARK
The rare Amorphophallus titanum-commonly known as the Corpse Plant for its horrible stench when blooming-will be on display beginning Sunday, February 28, at Nathanael Greene/Close Memorial Park. The 35-pound tropical tuber, brought to Springfield by Friends of the Garden member and primary garden designer Dr. William Roston, will be available for viewing by the public from 1 to 6 p.m. each day in the community meeting room on the north side of the park toward the Japanese Stroll Garden.
During the 24 to 48 hours of its blooming cycle, estimated to occur in the next one to three weeks, longer visiting hours will be announced.
The gargantuan flower that's been called the superstar of the plant kingdom has been growing at a rate of about three inches daily, and this week reached a height of 45 inches and 22.5 inches in diameter, according to George Deatz, president of the 300-member volunteer group. Titanum grows in the wild only on the island of Sumatra.
'This is quite an event for Springfield,' said Deatz. 'It's a rare blooming flower with few on display in the U.S.'
The Friends of the Garden has been active since 1998 in pursuing funding and encouraging interest in building the 12,700-square-foot botanical center in the 114-acre park on South Scenic Avenue. The facility is expected to be completed in September 2010. The group has created 21 gardens with plans for 24 more.
Tax-deductible contributions to the Friends of the Garden Growth and Maintenance Fund can be made to the Community Foundation of the Ozarks or sent to the group at P.O. Box 8566, Springfield MO 65801. The Friends of the Garden web site is www.friendsofthegarden.org.
Note from George: This is a pdf copy of the Friends of the Garden Winter Newsletter for you to review here> http://www.friendsofthegarden.org/winternewsletter.pdf We publish the newsletter each quarter with the next one due in about three weeks. I hope you enjoy it.
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Look here for current construction progress of the new $4.3 million dollar Springfield-Greene County Botanical Center funded in part by a 2006 Greene County voter approved parks sales tax.
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Springfield, MO 65807
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Nathanael Greene Park covers 59 acres of land received as surplus property from the U.S. Department of the Interior and Bureau of Prisons in 1975. Over the years, the land has been gradually developed to include the Mizumoto Japanese Stroll Garden, the Gray-Campbell Farmstead and University of Missouri Extension's Master Gardener Demonstration Gardens.
The park is named after Nathanael Greene (August 7, 1742 – June 19, 1786) who was a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. When the war began, Greene was a militia private, the lowest rank possible; he emerged from the war with a reputation as George Washington's most gifted and dependable officer. Many places in the United States are named for him including Greene County (Greene County, organized in 1833) and Nathanael Greene Park which is now owned and operated by the Springfield-Greene County Park Board.
Known as Nathanael Greene|Close Memorial Park the 114 acres share the main entrance from Scenic Ave. and is the location for the new $4.3 million dollar Springfield-Greene County Botanical Center expected to open in September 2010, funded in part by a 2006 Greene County voter approved parks sales tax. The park is open dawn to dusk.
View current construction progress.
See this excellent article on it's history of from the Missouri Department of Conservation's magazine, the Missouri Conservationist here.
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