Scent is one of the most powerful elements in any garden. Whether you enjoy aromatic herbs such as lavender and rosemary or the heady perfume of roses and peonies, fragrance is transportive. But while most plants have attractive and alluring aromas, many species have evolved to do quite the opposite.
Take the corpse flower, Amorphophallus titanum, for example. Native to Indonesia’s rainforests, this otherworldly plant - seen in the image below - emits a strong, rotting stench to attract pollinators that are drawn to decaying flesh. While it’s unlikely you’ll find one blooming in a backyard, it proves the point that not all plants smell beautiful.
