The scientific name is Amorphophallus titanums, which literally translates from the Latin as “Big Ass Stinking Plant.” More commonly called the Corpse Flower, it is a wonder of evolution. It has developed a surefire to lure flies and other insects. It emits a smell just like something dead rotting. The bugs love ‘em some rotting flesh, so they head for the Corpse Flower en masse. The Corpse Flower isn’t carnivorous, though—that would be just too perfect, wouldn’t it? It utilizes the insects for pollination, just like any ordinary flower. Because of its size—the Corpse Flower is one of the largest blooming plants in the world—and the rarity with which it blossoms—maybe twice in a decade—and yes, because of the smell, the Corpse Flower has become a horticultural celebrity. People come out in droves, just like the blowflies and beetles, to see a Corpse Flower in bloom.
There are actually TWO giant Corpse Flowers set to bloom in the immediate future, one in New York City at the New York Botanical Garden and the other in Washington, DC at the United States Botanical Garden. The putrid blooms will only stay open for a few days, maximum, so there’s a narrow window of opportunity to see one of these stinking floral wonders. Don’t you wish you could be there to smell them in person?
