Helicodiceros muscivorus, Pig Butt Arum

Our very local phenological barometer of the spring weather is the bloom time of Helicodiceros muscivorus or most commonly referred to (with a snicker) as Pig’s Butt Arum. It usually makes an odiferous debut during the Mother’s Day Garden tours.

Native to the rocky limestone cliffs of Corsica, Sardinia, and the Balearic Islands, this unusual little plant has a flower that resembles the backside of a pig and smells like one too (but I can't vouch for that exactly)! It's reserved for those who like an intriguing plant and are not faint of heart, or for those who like a good chortle over earthy things (kids?). It's pollinated by...you guessed it...flies. Apparently, they like its carrion aroma and heat-emitting flower. Are you an Aroid enthusiast? If so, don't be shy...here is your plant!

Minimum temperature: 0° F