A CAERLEON woman has revealed what she believes to be a rare flower growing in her back garden.

It comes after the South Wales Argus reported that a dracunculus vulgaris (dragon arum) had blossomed in a Cwmbran garden for only the second time in 23 years.

The plant, which smells like rotting meat when it blossoms to attract flies as pollinators, had flowered only three times over the last 40 years in its Cwmbran home. However, after seeing pictures of the plant Honor Brown, aged 71, of Roman Way, Caerleon, contacted the Argus as she believes the flower in her garden is of the same species.

Although hers flowers every year and doesn’t often have a strong smell like the one in Cwmbran, she said it looked almost identical.

“Looking at the pictures I think it’s the same one,” she said.

“It’s not a very nice smell when it flowers either.”

Grandmother-of-two Mrs Brown was first given seeds for the plant around seven years ago by a former neighbour.

“The first year three bloomed and now there’s about seven,” she said.

The plants, which are distinctively purple with a skewer-like pollinator inside,now grow in three properties in Roman Way.