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Video of flies swarming around the dragon arum at The Cloisters. Videos by Andrew Winslow
The Dracunculus vulgaris, or dragon arum, is a favorite plant at The Cloisters. It is fly-pollinated and produces the smell of rotting meat in order to draw the insects to it. We had hoped that our dragon arum would bloom over the Garden Days weekend, but it kept us waiting for a few extra days.
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In the Middle Ages, the dragon arum had both medicinal uses and magical associations. It was said to be an aphrodisiac and was believed to both generate and protect against snakes, associations made clear by the time-lapse and video clips in this post.
Time-lapse video of flies pollinating the dragon arum throughout the afternoon