A rare corpse flower, nicknamed Princess Pungent, could bloom at any moment at McKee Botanical Gardens in Vero Beach.
Titan arum is the largest and stinkiest group of flowers in the plant kingdom, and its smell of death is often described as garlic, rotting meat, rotting fish, smelly feet and limburger cheese.
“The Titan Arum is one of the botanical world’s most remarkable spectacles,” McKee Executive Director Rochelle Wolberg said on the garden’s website. “For many people, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to witness a bloom in person.”
You can watch it bloom — without the stench and from the comfort of your home — via livestream on the garden’s website titled “Princess Pungent: The Stink Stream.” McKee also has been posting updates on its Instagram page.
There are fewer than 1,000 corpse flowers left in the wild, which is why the International Union for Conservation lists it as an endangered species.
Corpse flower at McKee Botanical Garden in Vero Beach
Corpse flowers are unpredictable. They can take anywhere from a few years to over a decade to bloom, and they stay open only two to three days, according to the United States Botanic Garden website.
They can grow up to 12 feet tall in the wild and 8 feet tall in cultivation, the website says.
The smell of a corpse flower is caused by a combination of chemicals meant to mimic decomposition in order to attract pollinators such as carrion beetles and flesh flies, which are attracted to the smell of decaying meat. The smell becomes stronger as it blooms and stays open, tapering off in the morning and closing back up.
Usually, the corpse flower opens in mid-afternoon and stays open all night and into the next morning, according to Discovery.
The time between blooms depends on energy accumulation stored in the underground stem, called a corm. It requires a warm temperature and high humidity to bloom, which is perfect for Florida. They are native to the tropical rainforests of Sumatra, Indonesia.
Valeria Bartra is TCPalm’s food and entertainment reporter. Contact her at valeria.bartra@tcpalm.com, 772-978-2246 or follow her on Instagram @vbartrajourno.
This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: Watch live: Florida’s rare, endangered corpse flower is about to bloom
Reporting by Valeria Bartra, Treasure Coast Newspapers / Treasure Coast Newspapers
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Valeria Bartra, Treasure Coast Newspapers | USA TODAY Network
