GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Frederik Meijer Gardens is about to get smelly. That’s because a corpse flower is expected to bloom within a matter of days!
The Grand Rapids botanical garden made the announcement Tuesday alongside Grand Valley State University (GVSU). They say the flower — known scientifically as an Amorphophallus titanium — should reach peak bloom sometime between June 14–16.
We’re told GVSU’s biology department lent the corpse flower, which they named The Beast, to Frederik Meijer Gardens. Professor Emeritus of Biomedical Sciences Tim Strickler donated the flower in 2015.
“This is an incredibly exciting and unique thing to experience," says Frederik Meijer Gardens Senior Vice President of Horticulture Steve LaWarre. "Many people go through their entire careers never seeing an example like this in person. We are thrilled that in addition to our own Putricia, which bloomed in 2018, we are able to display another Amorphophallus titanum thanks to our colleagues at Grand Valley State University.”
Purchase tickets online to see — and smell — the corpse flower during peak bloom.
Frederik Meijer Gardens says the corpse flower is among the largest flower species in existence. It takes about 10 years for one to grow into a flowering structure, and once it blooms, it will remain open for 24–36 hours.
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