Rare 'corpse flower' to bloom in Chicago this week

Even those with a strong stomach may want to plug their nose when a rare "corpse flower" blooms at the Chicago Botanic Garden this week.

“It has been described by many as a mixture of Limburger cheese, skunk, a dead animal, dirty socks, and moth balls, all mixed in a jar and shaken about,” Pollak said. The Titan Arum’s nickname comes from the strong stench the plant emits when it blooms, according to Tim Pollak, the outdoor floriculturist at the garden.

Pollak said the plants blood-red bloom and odor is meant to attract beetles and flies that pollinate the flower.

The plant, nicknamed Spike, has been under observation for the past week. Pollak said they believe the plant will bloom in the next day or two.  He says over 38,000 people have come to see the plant and many have returned “day after day.”

“Most people have never seen one up close in person or bloom,” he said. “It’s something that for many people is once in a lifetime opportunity to see up close and smell up close.”

Native to Sumatra, Indonesia, the plant rarely blooms, according to Pollak. He said the Titan Arum at the Chicago Botanic Garden is 12 years old and has never bloomed before.

The plant blooms in the middle of the night, and the bloom typically last around 48 hours, he said.

Likewise, a 13-year-old corpse flower in Denver recently bloomed for the first time.

Gallery: Corpse flower blooms at Denver Botanic Gardens