Rarely does something that smells so awful make people so giddy with anticipation to see and smell it.
But that’s the power of the corpse flower, which blooms only every eight years or so. When it does, it emits a stinking stench has been compared to the odor of rotting flesh or a dead mouse discovered days later in a trap.
In an even rarer event, a corpse flower at the Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory named Penelope that bloomed in June 2024 appears ready to bloom again, according to a statement released by the Milwaukee Domes Alliance, an operating partner of the conservatory.
Penelope could unleash her distinctive putridity as soon as the week of June 22, Milwaukee Domes Alliance stated. When a corpse flower does bloom, it stays open for only 24 to 48 hours. Past blooms have drawn crowds of the curious to the Domes.
Because the bloom period is so short, the Domes said it will try to extend visiting hours when that event occurs. It suggests tracking Mitchell Park Domes social media sites for up to date information.
Learn more about Penelope and the Domes’ corpse flowers at milwaukeedomes.org/about-the-domes/corpse-flower/.
The Domes are located at 524 S. Layton Blvd. Due to road construction and the closure of the 27th Street Bridge, Milwaukee Domes Alliance suggests using GPS to plot a route. Directions are also posted at www.MilwaukeeDomes.org.
Native to the Sumatran rainforest, the corpse flower (Amorphophallus titanum) emits its stink to attract the carrion flies and beetles that pollinate it. The horticultural conservatory has several corpse flowers in its Tropical Dome. Blooms occur so rarely because it takes the plant a long time to store up enough energy to produce a flower.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Stinky corpse flower at Mitchell Park Domes ready to bloom again
Reporting by Jim Higgins, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Jim Higgins, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | USA TODAY Network
