Nurni Sulaiman The Jakarta Post 11 Mar 18;
A tall corpse flower, also known as titan arum, bloomed near Mount Sinabung in Tiga Nderket district in Karo regency, and attracted locals who came to look at the flower and take pictures. The last known occasion that such a flower bloomed in the area was in December 2016, locals said.
“People could come and see the flower closer because it could be reached by a motorcycle; even for a city car, it could be reached safely,” said local resident Sadrah Peranginangin.
In the past five years, locals noticed the plant had bloomed in the area at least five times, said Sarimin Purba, the secretary of Gunung Merlawan village.
On March 2, a local saw the flower, which at the time was only 1 meter high. Sadrah said over the weekend it had grown to about 3 m.
A visitor from Brastagi, Sugeng Nuryono, said besides looking at the flower, the 60 or so families living in the village nearby were also friendly and had interesting stories. “If you want to see the flower blooming, just coordinate with the local people,” said Sugeng.
It can take up to three years for the flower to grow from a seed to tall flower, which could reach up to 6 m in height. (evi)
