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8-foot flower that smells like rotting meat to bloom at Arnold Arboretum

The arboretum expects the flower to bloom in the next two weeks — but the rare occurrence will likely last less than 48 hours.

By Emily Spatz

1 minute to read

A giant flower that infamously smells like rotting flesh is getting ready to bloom at Harvard’s Arnold Arboretum. 

This will be the first time the plant, aptly named the corpse flower, will bloom at the arboretum’s research greenhouses at Weld Hill, according to an Instagram post by the arboretum. 

According to the post, it can take up to 10 years for corpse flowers to bloom — but the flower only lasts for 24 to 48 hours. 

The Arnold Arboretum will notify members of available viewing times during the flower’s “brief period of bloom,” according to the Instagram post. The exhibit will be open only to members of the arboretum.

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The flower measures up to eight feet tall and generates a “volatile aroma” of rotting meat, the arboretum said.

Corpse flowers, native to the tropical rainforests of Sumatra, Indonesia, are listed as endangered. Fewer than 1,000 individual of the species remain in the wild, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature. 

The plants also generate heat, which allows for their smell to travel further, according to U.S. Botanic Gardens. Together, the heat and smell lure in “corpse-attracted” pollinators, like flies and carrion beetles, from near and far. 

Corpse flowers only bloom when they have stored enough energy, making the time they’ll bloom unpredictable, according to the U.S. Botanic Gardens. 

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Arnold Arboretum expects the flower to bloom in the next two weeks, according to its Instagram post. 

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