Maybe don’t stop to smell the flowers.
A giant “corpse flower” famous for its rotting, putrid smell is set to blossom at the New York Botanical Garden — for the first time in four years.
Officially known as the Amorphophallus Titanum or Titan-arum, the flower can grow up to a jaw-dropping 12 feet tall and take as long as seven to 10 years to bloom — with the blossom only lasting 24 to 36 hours.
That makes it a rare sight for New Yorkers looking to experience its foul fragrance, which has been said to smell like rotting meat, at the garden’s Enid A. Haupt Conservatory in the Bronx.
The botanical garden has set up a live-stream to allow flower fanatics across the globe to witness the stinky sight — sans smell.
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“There’s nothing quite like spring at the Garden, and we’re marking the start of the season with a major announcement — a corpse flower is set to bloom at NYBG!” NYBG wrote on Facebook at the end of last month.
“Right now you’ll find an Amorphophallus titanum on display in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory, growing closer to its stunning (and smelly) grand reveal each day.”
The flower releases its powerful stench to attract insect pollinators that feed on dead animals, according to officials at the garden.
The unpredictable flower takes years to form buds, but once it does, the flowers open up incredibly quickly.
The Bronx flower previously unleashed its signature stink in 2016, 2018 and 2019.
