WSU Vancouver’s corpse flower Titan VanCoug is back and blooming | CPT PPP Coverage

Washington State University’s resident corpse flower, Titan VanCoug, bloomed yet again Friday, releasing its famed stench throughout the school’s Science and Engineering Building for excited visitors.

Many of the flower’s visitors Friday said they’d seen it in years past — either last year or in 2019 — but were shocked to see it in a new, even-rarer form today. An over-watering accident years ago caused the plant to surprisingly clone itself into four plants; now the pot features each of the four plants in different stages of life.

“In just one instance before that I’ve seen online, I’ve seen just a leaf and a bloom in one pot. But I’ve never seen a leaf, bloom, fruiting body and a sprout all together,” said Steve Sylvester, the now-retired “father” of Titan VanCoug who planted it from a seed 21 years ago. “This is a first.”

Due to the height and weight of the corpse flower, which includes a 10-foot tall leaf reminiscent of a tree, professors and caretakers had to keep it indoors this year. While it allows the plant the space it needs, visitors are invited inside the Science Engineering Building in small groups at a time to view the bloom and ask questions of Sylvester and its current caretaker, Dawn Freeman.

At 52.5 inches tall, Friday’s bloom is nearly two feet shorter than last year’s, which Freeman posits could be due to lower heat or its residence indoors.

“The thing is, there’s not all that much to compare it to — we’ve never had it in the building,” said Freeman while using a small paintbrush to dust the interior of the bloom’s tuber with pollen. “It didn’t get the growth spurt we expect. Maybe it’s because it’s a June bloom and last year’s was in August.”

Viewing all day Friday

Though enormous, Titan VanCoug is delicate and reclusive. Freeman thought even by early Friday morning the stench was beginning to wane, perhaps because of the air conditioning and cool breeze wafting in from outside. Even still, the so-called “waning smell” was enough to cause most guests to recoil and regain their balance upon coming through the doorway to see it.

“How do you even describe it? It’s such an oddity,” said Michelle Nyhan, who came to visit the plant all the way from her home in Camas for third day in a row Friday. Nyhan said she first saw the bloom in 2019 and has struggled to shake the feeling elicited by the sight.

“I’m a roadside Americana person, I’m always looking for obscure things. And this is definitely obscure,” Nyhan said. “It reminds me of something from Little Shop of Horrors. My husband joked that they keep the rope in front of it so it doesn’t jump out and eat you.”

Visitors can check out the corpse flower until 7 p.m. Friday. Parking will be free all day Friday. The campus is at 14204 N.E. Salmon Creek Ave.