The Corpse Flower: Behind the Stink | National Geographic

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  • čas přidán 23. 07. 2013
  • July 24, 2013-After an anxious wait, the famous corpse flower finally bloomed at the US Botanic Garden. While many visitors expected to smell the flower's powerful scent, a few were a little disappointed. Learn the science behind the corpse flower's smell.
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    The Corpse Flower: Behind the Stink | National Geographic
    • The Corpse Flower: Beh...
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Komentáře • 298

  • @melissarmt7330
    @melissarmt7330 Před 9 lety +588

    It's amazing that a plant has evolved this way. How can it so accurately duplicate the smell of a rotting corpse in order to pollinate itself? This is just tremendous!

    • @PillCozbee
      @PillCozbee Před 9 lety +38

      Melissa RMT Because it was created. Evolution is BS.

    • @DiffrentDrummer
      @DiffrentDrummer Před 9 lety +136

      PillCosby Ignorance is bliss. Enjoy yours.

    • @lazyperfectionist1
      @lazyperfectionist1 Před 8 lety +68

      +PillCosby Of course! It all makes perfect sense, now! Some brilliant designer poofed a flower into existence to duplicate the scent of... a... rotting... corpse. Nope! Absolutely nothing at all wrong with this logic! Nothing at all!

    • @PillCozbee
      @PillCozbee Před 8 lety +10

      lazyperfectionist1 Explain how you think this plant came to be.

    • @rauljimenez8727
      @rauljimenez8727 Před 8 lety +15

      The power of god sure works in mysterious ways, eh ?

  • @pauline6717
    @pauline6717 Před 6 lety +329

    Haha this little guy is cute: "We don't really smell rotten flesh all that often" :D

    • @relamor112
      @relamor112 Před 4 lety +3

      Hhaa i get it

    • @gsabo1000
      @gsabo1000 Před 3 lety +1

      I bet it smells like Clinton, Humida, etc.....child eating

    • @faustofeles8912
      @faustofeles8912 Před 2 lety +2

      I was thinking about the privilege of that statement. Glad that's the case!

    • @pauline6717
      @pauline6717 Před 2 lety

      @@faustofeles8912 true!!

    • @richardyoung9024
      @richardyoung9024 Před rokem +1

      My reply would be, “I hope not” 🥴

  • @katkatkatkat463
    @katkatkatkat463 Před 7 lety +89

    I love how he reassures people at the end: yes, you WILL smell the terrible odour, we know that's what you all came for!

  • @daiveedino
    @daiveedino Před 9 lety +120

    The plant and the boy at the end were just great.

  • @bumblebink4177
    @bumblebink4177 Před 11 lety +48

    i love how people travel from far and wide to smell something that stinks like a rotten corpse

  • @jayadam2245
    @jayadam2245 Před 4 lety +35

    I called it flower of patience, commitment and gratitude. They grew for years, opened for 2 nights, when they got enough what they want, they closed it back.

  • @maggieatherton08
    @maggieatherton08 Před 4 lety +30

    I have been lucky enough to see a Corpse Flower at my local Zoo and it is beautiful!

  • @xINVISIGOTHx
    @xINVISIGOTHx Před 9 lety +262

    I'd like to smell one, just so I could see how close it smells to rotting meat

    • @deepfriedmackerel2263
      @deepfriedmackerel2263 Před 4 lety +5

      Come to indonesia 🇮🇩 I’ll show you around

    • @suzanneraczka3760
      @suzanneraczka3760 Před 3 lety

      I had one bloom for the first time last spring- and I can tell you...it smelled like a dead body.

    • @xINVISIGOTHx
      @xINVISIGOTHx Před 3 lety +2

      @@suzanneraczka3760 gross, I hate that smell. I hate going outside and smelling it and being like "what's that? Oh yeah thats the smell of death. I guess I should walk around my yard and see if there's such dead animal"

    • @bigbirdmusic8199
      @bigbirdmusic8199 Před 2 lety

      @@xINVISIGOTHx lol i know right how do so many of these people know what a corpse smells like

  • @greg230734
    @greg230734 Před 11 lety +22

    I had a similar type growing in my garden when I lived in the Midlands of Rhodesia. It was nothing like magnificent as the Sumatran one. It grew close to the ground and when open, the flowers were a mottled brown and purple, and boy did it stink.

  • @fftlmfao17
    @fftlmfao17 Před 11 lety +3

    Whether we know what a rotting corpse smells like or not, or even if we don't smell it all that often, that doesn't nullify the fact that our brain can recognize the smell as disgusting and putrid and something to avoid.

  • @MargaretsLight
    @MargaretsLight Před 11 lety +8

    That is an awesome flower. Attracts the different other kind of pollinators. Would love to see that personally.

  • @TheShawnster
    @TheShawnster Před 5 lety +10

    2:08 she said she didn't smell any bad odors but she had a tear rolling down her face from the stench...

  • @swiftyXify
    @swiftyXify Před 10 lety +212

    Sounds like something you could give to your ex lover lol

    • @alianajacobs5703
      @alianajacobs5703 Před 6 lety +4

      lol

    • @MA-yv8dw
      @MA-yv8dw Před 5 lety +1

      😂😂😂👏👏👏

    • @yunhin9631
      @yunhin9631 Před 5 lety +8

      Growing these are preety challenging and hard, you can get the Amorphophallus konjac or the voodoo lily the common cousin of the corpse flower it looks and smells just like it's titanic cousin, the difrence is that the voodoo lily is tall, skinny and has a smaller bloom, but it last longer, about 2-3 days, and it blooms faster, while it's cousin blooms once every like decade, the voodoo lily blooms once every year, and it's super easy to grow

    • @charlescastle4533
      @charlescastle4533 Před 4 lety +1

      If you understand this reference, you're a real G

    • @melissarivera7477
      @melissarivera7477 Před 4 lety

      swiftyXify awesome

  • @fargokatie
    @fargokatie Před 11 lety +10

    lol the kid at the end

  • @jostmz
    @jostmz Před 8 lety +79

    What it really does is farting every 10 years.

    • @ardensity1175
      @ardensity1175 Před 4 lety +7

      Or holding it all in for 10 years then only now letting it blow

  • @Dubois_tada
    @Dubois_tada Před 6 lety +18

    Lmao "we dont really smell rotting flesh that often" *shrugs* 😅

  • @freakishlyfeline
    @freakishlyfeline Před 2 lety

    LOL the kid at 2:47 every now and then caught a little whiff and went WHOA! His enthusiasm haha xD

  • @HeryMelayu
    @HeryMelayu Před 11 lety +8

    This corps flower come from my city - sumatra. I am really proud of

    • @theblackbaron4119
      @theblackbaron4119 Před 3 lety +2

      Just don't bring this one to a date. Not going to get you laid.

  • @siobhanforshaw5359
    @siobhanforshaw5359 Před 2 lety +2

    The literal translation made me chuckle 😂🤦🏻‍♀️. Amorphophallus titanum (a name that literally translates to "giant misshapen phallus").

  • @MKDiva81
    @MKDiva81 Před 11 lety +6

    so cool. I love science!

  • @RoseMary-gs6lt
    @RoseMary-gs6lt Před 6 lety +37

    The smell gives me nausea. My grandma had one in her frontyard and it rained for a very long time, the next day it opened. We didn't know what it was and my cousin made me fear it makimg me think that it will grow legs amd eat me. I was like 7 when that happened. My grandpa, after it dried out, cut it off with a machete

  • @iseverynametakenwtf1
    @iseverynametakenwtf1 Před 4 lety +7

    2:09 didn't smell any bad odor but has tears falling

  • @nutier
    @nutier Před 11 lety +1

    it was so impressive ! i have never seen this flower yet ;
    have a nice week !

  • @laskolasko
    @laskolasko Před 11 lety +1

    This is the shit I subscribed to NationalGeographic for. Stuff like this, should always and ONLY be uploaded.

  • @mouhaahaahaa
    @mouhaahaahaa Před 11 lety +5

    If I could have I say, I would request more plant life! fascinating to the extreme!

  • @TechXSoftware
    @TechXSoftware Před 11 lety +5

    that kid "We don't smell rotten flesh all that often" you selling us something here, murder!!! XD

  • @quuu1864
    @quuu1864 Před 4 lety

    Thanks for sharing your honest opinion with us Joseph. 🙂

  • @agent1193
    @agent1193 Před 3 lety +2

    what a Flower 🙏❤️

  • @thalie0476
    @thalie0476 Před 6 lety +2

    Extremely beautiful... Pitty it smells bad. The video is awesome, beleive it or not i felt so sad when it died😟

  • @foreva4eva385
    @foreva4eva385 Před 6 lety +2

    The boy at the end comment had me😂😂😂

  • @MiningBlock
    @MiningBlock Před 10 lety +2

    it doesn't smell that bad, one just bloomed at my fathers college he works at and it does kind of smell like some type of roadkill, but I was even in a room with tons of lights and other plants and it wasn't that overpowering. It took 14 whole years for the plant to bloom and now it's just going to die after one night. it was incredible to see, truely a site to behold, the things a monster, at least 4 feet tall, we had a meter stick next to it and it was a bit bigger than that so my best estimate would be 4-6 feet. If you have a chance to see one, go see it, once in a lifetime chance to truely see an amazing plant

  • @marluxiaxemnassaix2272
    @marluxiaxemnassaix2272 Před 2 lety +1

    Cute flower

  • @ronbohlouli1
    @ronbohlouli1 Před 11 lety +27

    Do plants reason? Why rotting flesh, why not ripe fruit, at what point did the plant decide rotting flesh is the optimum odor to attract pollenating insects?

    • @OliverTwistedd
      @OliverTwistedd Před 6 lety +11

      Ron Bohlouli well. I mean butterflies will legitimately drink blood so there seems to be some sort of science behind bugs liking smells from alive and dying things.

    • @sunakonakahara222
      @sunakonakahara222 Před 6 lety

      It could also attract bugs and insects because perhaps the soil in and of itself does not provide enough phosphates and nitrates that the plant needs to grow and flourish.

    • @andrewcorson7813
      @andrewcorson7813 Před 6 lety +2

      The plant didn't decide anything. It just so happened that it mutated and got that trait and it ended up working.

    • @ganjaganja3811
      @ganjaganja3811 Před 6 lety +4

      It's God's design

    • @lisatinbliki5691
      @lisatinbliki5691 Před 6 lety

      Ron you are very intelligent. That is a very good question.

  • @carole7538
    @carole7538 Před 3 lety

    The Nashville Zoo has one that just bloomed today! Going tomorrow to check it out.

  • @Buddha-2505
    @Buddha-2505 Před rokem

    We must do in every way to keep the speed of this super amazing plant for our next generation 's children 👍👍👍

  • @juliettgray62
    @juliettgray62 Před 7 měsíci +1

    Mr. Goodman:oh my sweet baby Jesus

  • @MrcBubba1
    @MrcBubba1 Před 4 lety

    Cool

  • @chacha2285
    @chacha2285 Před 6 lety +26

    How was it "discovered" by an Italian in the 1800's when Indonesians have seen that plant way before.

    • @rockyroad179
      @rockyroad179 Před 3 lety +11

      He said it was discovered to /Western science/ in the late 1800’s. Obviously Indonesians must’ve known about it before then.

  • @fuxmaulder1
    @fuxmaulder1 Před 6 lety +15

    "odoriferous emissions"

  • @CAYENNETAN
    @CAYENNETAN Před 5 lety

    Great. Now I want to grow one.

  • @jerryamescua
    @jerryamescua Před 2 lety +1

    Out of all the actors I think the little boy was the best.

  • @dan339dan
    @dan339dan Před 11 lety

    it's big, re-watch deserved for you

  • @pinkmonkeysrock11101
    @pinkmonkeysrock11101 Před 11 lety

    We had one in Edmonton a few months back. Sad I missed it :(

  • @dipopapo
    @dipopapo Před 6 lety +1

    I'm Indonesian and I remembered my middle high school have one of this in school greenhouse

  • @larrybutler8562
    @larrybutler8562 Před 9 lety +1

    I can relate to this- a guy who worked for me was nicknamed Stinky - u can imagine why - he could clear a room in seconds - I used to travel with him and passengers near the restroom used to complain to the attendant that the toilet overflowed - not the toilet it was the Stink sitting across from it. one of many similar episodes. If this flower blooms anywhere near me there is no need for me to visit for a sniff...

  • @leahnnaa
    @leahnnaa Před 4 lety +6

    Other Flowers: Beautiful but Dangerous
    This Flower: *Beautiful but Disgusting*
    No hate by the way this flower is so beautiful 💖

  • @khstar
    @khstar Před 11 lety +1

    They had one of these on display in Texas but I never got the chance to see it.

  • @alisaifff
    @alisaifff Před 11 lety

    جميل

  • @keturahlove4500
    @keturahlove4500 Před 11 lety

    Interesting

  • @msluvbug13
    @msluvbug13 Před 6 lety

    Lol “we weren’t that close” lol she already knows what the deal is.

  • @shelley-annthompson811

    Rosie! I miss you! saw you dying before my eyes and it brought tears...

    • @purestqi
      @purestqi Před 5 lety

      shelley-ann thompson Jesus!

  • @DonDineroo
    @DonDineroo Před 5 lety

    wow

  • @JazzyVH
    @JazzyVH Před 3 lety

    Such an amazing flower. I got to see it a few days ago in Toronto and uploaded a video if you wanna have a look on my channel! Definitely a cool experience!

  • @audreya4075
    @audreya4075 Před 4 lety +1

    I’m going to see one tomorrow. I’m afraid to smell it lol

  • @thegamingchef3304
    @thegamingchef3304 Před 3 lety +3

    Is this the same flower that was on Dennis the Menace lol.

  • @dkchacha
    @dkchacha Před 11 lety +1

    That kid at the end, so true... I dont know the smell of rotten flesh, and if people say that that flower smells like rotten flesh then it may be worthwhile to get to smell that plant and know

  • @ShofianHariady
    @ShofianHariady Před 11 lety

    yeaahh..really really fun...

  • @pelicannoble3724
    @pelicannoble3724 Před 2 lety

    I’m watching this in class right now

  • @sluncevotsvete8918
    @sluncevotsvete8918 Před 2 lety

    Last year i found this flowers at my grandmother's backyard.

  • @badorastrome5418
    @badorastrome5418 Před 4 lety +3

    The smell from sweating crowded people close to each other in small area in the heat of summer is more disgusting than any other flower in the universe

  • @madscientistshusta
    @madscientistshusta Před 6 lety

    The corpse flower is why we have flowers and bees, they evolved bugs to become flowering insects which in turn revolved plants to flower inorder to mate.

  • @HakunaMatata009
    @HakunaMatata009 Před 11 lety

    That one lived in abandoded area around my backyard in Sumatra, Indonesia. But it was not that big.

  • @FuturaWatchingYou
    @FuturaWatchingYou Před 6 lety

    I wanna own one of those one day

  • @BungMorgan
    @BungMorgan Před rokem

    In my country you guys may lucky too see this flower bloom, thats a good things of this flower

  • @Thousandeyes85
    @Thousandeyes85 Před 8 měsíci

    Why do they think describing the smell as "rotting flesh" is enlightening? I can't be the only one that has no idea what that smells like

  • @GHD1972
    @GHD1972 Před 9 lety +3

    Very interesting plant. Seriously considering growing one!

    • @fauxblondee
      @fauxblondee Před 6 lety +2

      GHD1972 you can't because I think they are endangered and they can be harvested for seeds, that one is from indonesia

  • @divyasharma4388
    @divyasharma4388 Před 6 lety

    please make a video on santalum pollination by snake😊

  • @crazypath573
    @crazypath573 Před 5 lety +4

    He said phallus, tee hee hee

  • @michlgilbertclements5378

    The inside feels warmer than the outside to get the air to disperse the smell more.

  • @febryhartanti8301
    @febryhartanti8301 Před 3 lety +1

    There is this kind of flower existed but categorized as parasite in Sumatra, Indonesia, called Raflesia Arnoldi, still in the same species with Titan Arum 😁

  • @fredrictengstrom9522
    @fredrictengstrom9522 Před 3 měsíci

    Hej This one I never met in The wild. Had a Few near shots. Hard to time if you have nt got BBC s resources. But I still feel it nobler to do things all by oneself. ❤

  • @ShofianHariady
    @ShofianHariady Před 11 lety

    That's why I love Indonesia

  • @NjamZeBloxer
    @NjamZeBloxer Před 2 lety

    Epic i am from indonesia sumatra

  • @KiwiBirb63
    @KiwiBirb63 Před 10 lety

    I would plant a secret corpse flower in an annoying person's room for a prank! XD

  • @sonika710
    @sonika710 Před 11 lety

    i want see these flower

  • @woody1778
    @woody1778 Před 11 lety

    Edmonton Alberta has a corpse flower in the Muttart Conservatories.

  • @mhonskylopez2951
    @mhonskylopez2951 Před rokem

    reminds of the movie: little shops of horror

  • @24_sanketgolar96
    @24_sanketgolar96 Před 2 lety +1

    So this might be a flower from dinosaur age...

  • @AnimalsAndReports
    @AnimalsAndReports Před 7 lety

    I have a mini version Stapelia gigantea lol

  • @sebastianbagdasarian3280

    Sebastian you 😊

  • @wolfdogstinkus
    @wolfdogstinkus Před 2 lety

    Most plants give off fragrance to attract insects, this one gives off a scent that attracts Jimmy Saville

    • @kittysmith8959
      @kittysmith8959 Před 5 měsíci

      Two years late to this, but I'm dying at your comment 😂😂

  • @johnninfotv3428
    @johnninfotv3428 Před 4 lety

    Proud . I'm Indonesian

  • @Savetheworldfirebidennow

    That kid was groovy

  • @jonbishop1385
    @jonbishop1385 Před 2 lety +1

    Just this last week we got Our first flower ---- Wait for it ------- After 25 years ! (north west of Ireland) Its growing outdoors and has survived all sorts of weather , especially rain . any one know why it took so long to give us a flower?

  • @MsKTMvalley
    @MsKTMvalley Před 11 lety

    @benjamin Interesting...

  • @TheClaudia2314
    @TheClaudia2314 Před 11 lety

    Lmao that kid at the end

  • @TheAshleyKeer
    @TheAshleyKeer Před 11 lety

    I want one in my front garden

  • @jiggzstarr
    @jiggzstarr Před 11 lety

    Going to botanical gardens to smell this bad boy

  • @TestTubeBabySpy
    @TestTubeBabySpy Před 8 lety +20

    the flower from dennis the menace

    • @VampressOfDarkness
      @VampressOfDarkness Před 8 lety +1

      +TestTubeBabySpy I thought it was! But didn't that one take a lot longer to bloom, as well as dying right away?

    • @wearealljustclowns
      @wearealljustclowns Před 6 lety

      no its not

  • @dkchacha
    @dkchacha Před 11 lety

    I guess... but maybe because I live in the city or I am in the car with the windows closed when I see a roadkill and the car is travelling fast so there is not enough time to smell to set in... and other factors such as being far away from the road kill site if I am walking, because I wouldn't want to go near a dead animal (all of the time I come across a dead one someone else already found/saw and was talking about it)
    I went to a garbage dump before but honestly I have never smelt corpse...

  • @redbutterfly88
    @redbutterfly88 Před 6 lety +1

    The young boy story is cute!

  • @LA553714fx
    @LA553714fx Před 11 lety

    are there any nice flowers as big as this?

  • @tinkie3003
    @tinkie3003 Před 6 lety

    Air is good looking

  • @Taigacan
    @Taigacan Před 11 lety

    he was obviously trolling lol

  • @drene4865
    @drene4865 Před 8 lety

    an Arum version of Rafflesia tuan-mudae

  • @fenirh
    @fenirh Před 9 lety +3

    How this "Bunga Bangkai" was moved from Indonesia?

  • @btsarmy1m948
    @btsarmy1m948 Před 5 lety

    Can we get seeds of it

  • @fk4835
    @fk4835 Před 11 lety

    Sv Darmstadt 98!

  • @therealspookspeak
    @therealspookspeak Před 4 lety +2

    There's a lot of that flower here in Indonesia.

  • @Leelicious1312
    @Leelicious1312 Před 5 lety

    I want to have this name when I come back as a superhero