GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- The next time you visit Frederik Meijer Gardens and Sculpture Park you might be visited by the unique, nauseating smell of the rare Amorphophallus titanum otherwise known as the Corpse Flower.
“As a professional horticulturist, this is incredibly exciting,” said Steve LaWarre, Director of Horticulture at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park. “Many people go through their entire careers never seeing an example like this in person. We are thrilled that something that we started as a seedling here at Meijer Gardens 18 years ago is coming to fruition and that the public is showing such great interest.”
The flower started blooming around 9:30 p.m. Wednesday. Employees say the smell won't last too long as the Corpse Flower only blooms for 24 to 36 hours.
Frederik Meijer Gardens will be open its normal hours and prices will remain at $14.50 for adults, $11 for seniors and students, $7 for children ages 5-13 years old, $4 for children ages 3-4 years old and children 2 years old or younger are free.
On It
Good to know prices will remain at 14.50 for adults, the gardens should be inundated with people wanting to smell that smell, after all it rates a lead story here for days on end. Will we hear that it is now a real corpse after the bloom?