A corpse flower, an endangered plant known for its unique “rotting meat” odor, is officially in bloom at University of Rhode Island, the college announced on Wednesday morning. It is the first corpse flower to bloom at the school in 13 years.
Corpse flowers only bloom for 24 to 48 hours. Horridge Conservatory on URI’s campus will have extended hours for visitors to see and sniff the flower.
An endangered giant
The species, which originates in the rainforests of Indonesia, is endangered in the wild but can be found more widely in greenhouses and botanical gardens. It holds the world record for the largest unbranched inflorescence, or flower cluster, of any plant, according to the U.S. Botanic Garden. Some can reach 9 feet tall.
When corpse flowers bloom, they release a signature “dead body” smell to attract pollinators that normally feast upon rotten meat, like flies and dung beetles. The inside of the plant is a deep red color, resembling flesh.
“It’s amazing to think that this plant has evolved to do this to live, to reproduce,” said greenhouse manager Ben Robbins.
A bloom years in the making
The plants take an average of 7 years to bloom for the first time, said Robbins. They bloom so infrequently because the plant must first stockpile enough energy to grow its large flower structure, he explained.
Corpse flowers spend the majority of their lives in a leafy stage, gathering energy, or in a dormant stage, when foliage above ground dies off and the plant stores energy in a large bulb called a corm.
A corm must weigh about 50 pounds before being able to flower, Robbins said. When Robbins weighed this corpse flower’s corm last summer, it totaled 40 pounds, a sign that a flower could be on the horizon.
It can be difficult to tell whether a corpse flower will enter a leafy or a flowering stage when it emerges from dormancy, Robbins said.
Earlier this month, Robbins got confirmation that the plant would bloom when an oblong spike called a “spadix” emerged from the plant.
“I was so excited,” Robbins said.
Visitors can see the corpse flower at URI's Horridge Conservatory at 6 Greenhouse Road, Kingston. The greenhouse will be open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Wednesday, June 17.
