Titan Arum Blooms Fully Beside West Sumatra–North Sumatra Highway
- 06 Jul 2026 20:01 WIB
- Voice of Indonesia
Key Points
- A giant corpse flower (Amorphophallus titanum) is in full bloom near the Trans-Sumatra national highway in Palupuh, Agam Regency, West Sumatra.
- The rare flower is located only about 20 meters from the roadside, allowing travelers to view it without entering forested areas.
RRI.CO.ID, Lubuk Basung - Travelers along Sumatra’s main route are now treated to a rare botanical sight without venturing into dense interior forest. A giant corpse flower (Amorphophallus titanum) was found in full bloom in Palupuh Subdistrict, Agam Regency, West Sumatra roughly 20 meters from the edge of the national road that links West Sumatra and North Sumatra.
The rare and protected flower has entered its fourth day of blooming . Head of Conservation Resort II Maninjau at the West Sumatra West Sumatra Natural Resources Conservation Center (BKSDA), Ade Putra, said in Lubuk Basung on Monday, 6 July 2026, that the bloom is expected to wither in the coming days.
“The flower will wilt and rot in the next few days,” he said, as quoted by Antara.
Ade said the titan arum is blooming beside the trans-Sumatra national road that connects regencies and cities from West Sumatra toward North Sumatra. The plant grows on private land in Jorong Batu Gadang, Nagari Koto Rantang, Palupuh Subdistrict, Agam Regency, at about 700 meters above sea level.
“The bloom site is only around 20 meters from the highway and the plant is growing quite vigorously,” he said.
Palupuh is a known habitat for the species protected under Indonesian Law No. 5/1990, as amended by Law No. 32/ 2024 on the Conservation of Biological Natural Resources and Their Ecosystems. Previously, another titan arum also bloomed fully in Sitingkai, Nagari Koto Rantang, Palupuh Subdistrict.
“Palupuh’s climate and topography support the habitat for this plant,” said Ade.
In Agam, blooms have been recorded in 15 of 16 subdistricts, with Tanjung Mutiara the only exception. Four Amorphophallus species have been found in the regency, which are Amorphophallus titanum, Amorphophallus gigas, Amorphophallus paeoniifolius, and Amorphophallus variabilis.
Ade explained the corpse flower’s life cycle has two phases. The vegetative (leaf) phase can last up to two years, followed by the generative (flowering) phase, which endures only seven to ten days.
“Unlike the two‑house Rafflesia arnoldii, the titan arum is monoecious. It bears both male and female flowers in a single inflorescence,” said Ade. ***
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