Rare, foul-smelling ‘corpse flower’ blooms in New York City

NEW YORK — A foul smelling plant, Amorphophallus titanum, known as the “corpse flower” is finally blooming at the New York Botanical Garden in New York City.

The rare blooming began Thursday afternoon after more than 10 years of growth. It’s native to Sumatra’s equatorial rain forests, and emits an odor like rotting flesh while it’s briefly in bloom.

It’s one of the largest flowers on earth and can reach between 6 and 12 feet in height. It emits the stench to attract pollinators and its red interior reinforces the smell with a meat-like color.

The bloom at its peak only lasts about 24 to 36 hours — and it could be years before the flower blooms again.

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