A great time was had by all who attended and met Peter Grande in person. Peter’s opening brought out the most first time visitors we’ve ever had at the nursery & gardens. It’s truly quite an event to witness the largest inflorescence “flower” to ever occur in North Carolina.
Despite the nearly constant caressing, Peter could only keep it up for 44 hours, and by mid-day Sunday, he was literally petered out. Fingers crossed for good seed set, which we should know in a month or two. Thanks to our great staff who both grew Peter and then hosted the long hours of visitation. Special thanks also to amorphophallus guru and JLBG adjunct researcher Alan Galloway, for sticking with us for the entire event and sharing his amazing knowledge. Peter has a twin brother, which could grace us with his presence in the next couple of years…the wait is back on.
I enjoyed Peter’s adventure from Colorado. Thanks for the webcams!! Best of luck with the potential offpspring.
I’m curious why the holes cut for pollenation and then closed with packing tape Friday evening are open again in this photo.
Thanks to all at PDN for so generously sharing this event. Who would have thought you’d let us caress Peter. Zounds!
Breeding holes we closed to keep developing pollen from escaping, and to make sure that the pollen we used set well on the stigmas. As amorphophallus flowers collapse, we’ll often remove the entire spathe to prevent rot.
Wa Wa Wa Wa Wahhhhhhhh!!!!!
So was this one of the foetida varieties? What was the fragrance, if any?
Yes, the fragrance was delightfully foetid…enough to draw a few flys.
Is that it for Peter then? Will he live on only in possible progeny or will he rise again?
If Peter forms seed, he will probably die as a result of childbirth. If not, he should flower again in 3-8 years.
Although 44 hours is more than respectable, I have read that some horticultural specialists, familiar with the condition, recommend 100mg. Sildenafil per gallon of water. They warn, however, that overuse may lead to a dire condition commonly known as Petrus rigidus-permanentus, necessitating an emergency visit to the botanist on call.
(Apologies for the frivolity, but the tone of the article seemed to beg for a similar response …) And, yes, I am a serious gardener!
We had considered such a treatment, but was convinced this is only effective when subject is laying in side by side bathtubs, and since drainage was a concern, we opted for a natural deflation.