Colorado State University's stinky corpse flower preparing to bloom
Amorphophallus titanum are commonly known as "corpse flowers" due to the unique rotting smell they emit during blooming.
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Colorado State University is preparing for the first blooming of its corpse flower, a plant famous for its rotting flesh odor. (Photo credit: Colorado State University)
May 21 (UPI) -- Colorado State University is inviting members of the public to come experience a uniquely smelly spectacle: the first blooming of its corpse flower.
The university said Plant Growth Facilities Manager Tammy Brenner brought the pungent plant, named Cosmo, to the school in 2016, and after seven years of careful rearing in the College of Agricultural Sciences' Conservatory, Cosmo is preparing to bloom for the first time.
"Cosmo came out of dormancy around three weeks ago, and we didn't expect anything exciting," Brenner said in a news release. "But then two weeks ago, it started looking a little bit more full, a little bit more plump. It started growing and shooting out stalks, and we realized something really big was about to happen."
The Tucson Botanical Gardens is home to one of the world’s largest and rarest flowers, the Amorphophallus Titanum. Commonly known as the corpse flower, it blooms once every seven to 10 years. The corpse flower is also known for producing a horrible smell described as rotting flesh. However, experts believe the Tucson corpse flower, Rosie may be too young to produce the smell. Thousands have been watching a live stream of Rosie for several days, waiting for it to happen and the botanical gardens had a steady stream of visitors waiting to see the 10-foot-tall flower in person.
Amorphophallus titanum are commonly known as "corpse flowers" due to the unique rotting smell they emit during blooming.
The flower is expected to begin its bloom on Saturday, but Brenner cautioned that the exact date won't be known until the bloom begins. The bloom is only expected to last for 2-3 days, and Cosmo won't bloom again for another 3-5 years.
"This is a rare occasion and a big deal because it will be the first bloom for the corpse flower here at CSU," Brenner said.
The Conservancy will be open to the public for corpse flower viewings -- and smellings -- from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day of the bloom.
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