A rare corpse flower bloomed at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden this weekend.
Photo by Lauren Rapp
A giant, rare and notoriously stinky flower bloomed at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden over the weekend, drawing hundreds to smell something “putrid.”
The Amorphophallus gigas, known as the “corpse flower,” bloomed for just three days, prompting residents to brave frigid temperatures for a chance to see and smell the botanical oddity.
Wait times to experience the rare bloom stretched to more than two hours. Nicknamed “Smelliot” by garden staff, the bloom is extremely rare — only nine other botanical gardens have reported having the plant, according to BBG’s website. Brooklyn’s plant, a seven-year-old specimen originally sourced as a seedling from Malaysia, blooms only once every seven to 10 years.
When asked to describe the small, visitors used words like “gross,” “earthy” and “bad gym clothes.” Some even compared the plant to “mildewy socks.” Visitors took turns leaning in close to catch a whiff of the rare corpse flower, known for its pungent, putrid scent.
Roommates Nadia S. and Alexa Cardamone called BBG every day last week, waiting to hear if the flower had opened. When their turn came to experience the pungent plant, the pair took a “deep inhale” and said they noticed a distinct “funk” even as they approached.
“We’re thrilled to be here,” Nadia told Brooklyn Paper. “We brought our friends, who had no idea what it looked like before. They just came along for the ride and waited graciously in two-and-a-half hours of the cold, but yeah, totally worth it.”
The corpse flower bloom emerged sometime between Thursday night and Friday morning, according to Chris Sprindis, a botanical gardener at BBG. He smelled the pungent odor before seeing the flower had opened.
Sprindis, who has been caring for the plant, first noticed signs of a bloom in late December.
“I love watching parents holding up their kids to smell it and see their reactions,” he said.
Keeping the plant happy and healthy is not too tricky, said Sprindis. The plant likes a moderate 70-degree climate with humidity, and while in its growing stages, it wants to stay moist.
The corpse flower emits a noxious odor to attract pollinators such as flies and beetles, which typically lay their eggs in decaying flesh, Sprindis said. The bloom was never expected to last beyond the weekend. By Sunday, its pungent smell had already started to dissipate. But for those lucky enough to get a whiff, the smell will be burned into their memory forever.
