[Fleur Pavlidis]

I rather believe that pride comes before a fall and it was proved for me this spring. There I was boasting that I had all sorts of lovely wild flowers which have come of their own accord to my garden, including six orchids and alliums of all shapes and sizes. Then I returned from Croatia to smell a dead cat it the garden. I searched round and round for the body and but found a different source - two huge Dracunculus vulgaris growing in the shade of the almond trees. I'd seen the remains of one before but hadn't realised that it was the terrible smelly and that it was going to spread. Now what do I do? Do I sigh and accept them like Carole (Umbrian) does her porcupines?

[Trevor Australis]

If the smell is too much to bear cut off the flowers before they open or just as they do. Then the smell doesn't develop but, of course, you miss the spectacular purple-red flowers. The tubers do produce a few offsets each year so the plant gradually grows into a clump but they are not hard to deal with if you get too many. The plants have no natural enemies here. What about where you are - apart from boars and badgers that is.

[Alisdair]

I had some Cretan seed from John Fielding (which may have included a white form). I planted out the few young tubers in the "managed wilderness" part of our Greek house several years ago. Usually, we are out there each year at about the time they are sprouting. Every year so far - and here's an answer, Trevor! - the little plants have been eaten by tortoises, which seem to seek them out particularly. But this year when we left there was one plant still standing. Whether that will encourage it to grow enough to flower next year remains to be seen....

[Umbrian]

Plants are somehow easier to dispose of than animals despite the fact they are both "living" things. We had an injured porcupine right outside the back door to our house the other year when it was snowy and the poor thing was desperate for food but although they cause so much damage I could not bring myself to finish it off. Instead Colin took the opportunity to get some close up photographs as they are usually quite elusive creatures!
I would be inclined to act now and get rid of it before it spreads. The magnificence of the flower cannot compensate for that terrible stench. Better to try to admire it in somebody else's garden or in the wild  as we did in Turkey.

[John]

I have to say that I really like them but I like aroids generally. They are plants that are possibly prefered by men far more than women which may be sexist but that has been my observation over the years, and perhaps the previous comments help support this! They are so spectacular and the smell is quite fleeting just make sure it's not by the kitchen door. Seedlings I gave to friends near Rome have done spectacularly well but equaly they are thriving in some gardens in the UK. Last week whilst staying with a friend in Malvern for the RHS Malvern show she showed me the seedlings I had given her a few years earlier and they too were looking splendid but perhaps a month off flowering.

[JTh]

Maybe women are more sensitive to the smell of this flower?

[Jill S]

Funny you should say that, Jorun. To me the smell is highly pungent, very pervasive (not to say invasive), and long lasting. I don't think I could live with it, despite the visual attraction of the flower - from a very great distance.

[Fleur Pavlidis]

I see the leaves springing up all over the place, so with the ladies' permission I'll out them!

[JTh]

Sounds like a wise desicion.

[Jill S]

ASAP, although you might need a gas-mask to get close enough to do it

[John]

It is a protected species you know!

[JTh]

The only country I found that has this one listed as a protected species is Bulgaria.

I have a small Helicodiceros muscivorus — dead horse arum lily -which I got from you, John, I hope I will be able to bring it to Greece some time in the future, but I plan to plant it at least 50 m from our house.

[John]

I was trying to be a bit sneaky with that cooment.

[JTh]

I guessed that, but found that it is actually protected in Bulgaria.

[Fleur Pavlidis]

Would you like me to send them to you, John?