AMES, Iowa —
Stink Floyd, the 12-year-old corpse flower at Reiman Gardens in Ames, has bloomed. And with that bloom comes the reason behind its nickname.
As the flower — also known as Amorphophallus titanum — unfurls, it emits an intense odor that lasts about 24-48 hours. Some have compared the stench to dirty gym socks. Others say it smells like road kill or rotting flesh from a slaughterhouse.
“The corpse plant is one of the rarest and most fascinating blooms on Earth, and we’re thrilled to share this unique botanical phenomenon with the community,” said Andrew Gogerty, Reiman Gardens' manager of marketing and communications.
Reiman Gardens announced the bloom around 5:30 p.m. Saturday.
"Visitors are encouraged to come quickly — the bloom only lasts for 24 to 36 hours, and the stench is strongest early in its debut," according to the news release.
Extended hours will be available during the bloom. Reiman Gardens will be open until 11 p.m. on Saturday evening and will reopen at 7 a.m. on Sunday morning and stay open until 11 p.m. on Sunday night.
When Reiman Gardens opened Sunday at 7 a.m., a line already formed outside. Garden officials expect that to last throughout the day as more people hope to experience the smell.
General admission costs $12, with discounts for seniors 65 and older and children ages 2-12. Admission is free to children under 2 and for Iowa State University students.
What's behind the smell?
"It mimics decomposing meat to attract pollinators like carrion beetles and flesh flies," according to the Reiman Gardens website, which also says the bloom generates heat, which helps the scent spread.
There are thought to be only 300 of the plants in the wild and fewer than 1,000 including those in cultivation, according to the Associated Press. One at Des Moines Botanical Garden drew more than 8,000 people over two days when it bloomed in July 2017.
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More about the corpse flower
Known as the Amorphophallus titanum, the flowering plant has the largest unbranched inflorescence in the world, which can be up to 3 meters (10 feet) high.
Its compound flower is composed of a hollow, tall spadix with small flowers and a spathe, with one big, furrowed petal that is green on the outside and deep burgundy red on the inside.
It spends most of its life as an underground tuber, with rare and unpredictable blooms that normally happen at age 7-10 years for the first time, then every 4-5 years after that.
The plant only grows in the wild in the rainforests of Sumatra, but it is endangered there due to deforestation. Cultivation at botanical gardens, where they are a great visitor attraction, has helped its preservation. It’s first known blooming outside Sumatra was in 1889 at London’s Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this article.
From 2017: Watch timelapse of beautiful corpse flower bloom at Des Moines Botanical Garden
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