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By NTBG Staff
After weeks of anticipation, Pua Pilo—the corpse flower growing in NTBG’s Conservation Nursery—delivered a rare and unforgettable bloom. Known for its dramatic size, fleeting flowering window, and famously pungent scent, this Amorphophallus titanum captured the attention of staff, scientists, and the public alike.
Pua Pilo reached its peak bloom on Sunday, July 20, completing its flowering cycle 12 days after the initial emergence of the spadix. The bloom drew significant interest, with a strong turnout of community members participating in guided tours to witness this remarkable event.
On Sunday evening, Pua Pilo was successfully pollinated using pollen from the Chicago Botanic Garden (CBG)’s pollen bank. CBG has worked extensively with this species and is one of only a handful of institutions to house a pollen bank. We received three separate accessions from three separate individuals, respectively. All three could be traced to a wild founder, and all three are not related to Pua Pilo. By Monday, July 21, the bloom began to show signs of decline—a promising indicator that the pollination may have been successful.
Pollen collected from Pua Pilo will be returned to CBG to contribute to their pollen bank, supporting future conservation efforts. The plant has since been moved into the nursery’s greenhouse, where environmental conditions are better suited for fruit development. We anticipate that the fruit will take approximately six months to reach maturity.
Pollen banking helps save rare plants by allowing scientists to pollinate across distance and time — even between plants that aren’t blooming at the same moment or are far apart. For tricky-to-breed species like Hawaiian ʻālula or our Pua Pilo, pollen can be collected, stored, and shipped to make careful matches that protect genetic diversity. As botanic gardens team up to manage metacollections (plant species managed collaboratively across institutions like zoos manage endangered animals), pollen banking is becoming a vital tool for the future of rare plant conservation.
Pua Pilo’s bloom, pollen collection, and pollination are important steps in the ongoing conservation of this species. Thanks to collaboration and careful work, we look forward to seeing the next stage of this rare plant’s life!
