Longwood Gardens is Hosting Very Rare ‘Corpse Flower’ that Blooms Once Every 10 Years, for Only 48 Hours

Longwood Gardens has raised a stink! The Amorphophallus Titanum (titan arum) more commonly known as the Corpse Flower. 

The Corpse Flower is about to bloom in Longwood Gardens' Conservatory's Tropical Terrace. The exact pinpoint of bloom is unknown as of right now, but they are expecting the plant to bloom very soon. This type of flower does not bloom often, especially in the United States, as a matter of fact it only blooms once every ten years. Not to mention, the bloom only lasts for 48 hours. Which is why they have a Live Stream in case it decides to open any minute now.

The Corpse Flower gets it's name from the stinky smell of rotting flesh it emits once bloomed. Guests visiting the flower during bloom time are advised to put Vick's Ointment under their noses to help block the stench.

Longwood Gardens want to make sure you have a chance to experience the rare bloom of this stinky star of the plant world. Starting Wednesday, July 8 and through its bloom—which typically lasts for only 24 to 48 hours and is best experienced at night—they will be offering extended hours:

Wednesday, July 8: 10:00 am–midnight
Thursday, July 9: 6:00 am–midnight

This flower is one of the world's largest and rarest flowering structures. The corpse flower is a pungent plant that blooms rarely and only for a short time. While it is in bloom, the flower emits a strong odor similar to rotting meat or, aptly, a decaying corpse.

There is a good reason for the plant's strong odor - pollination. Dung beetles, flesh flies and other carnivorous insects are the primary pollinators of this type of flower. These insects typically eat dead flesh. The smell and the dark burgundy color of the corpse flower are meant to imitate a dead animal to attract these insects.

Corpse Flowers are great pollinators and help out the ecosystem abundantly.