WASHINGTON, D.C. (KGTV) – Attendance is growing at the U.S. Botanic Garden Conservatory in Washington, D.C. this week as three corpse flowers bloom.
The corpse flower, Amorphophallus titanum, is a native of Indonesia. It is known for its putrid smell described as rotting flesh. The smell is exacerbated by heat coming from the plant’s inflorescence.
The corpse flower does not have an annual blooming cycle, experts say. The plant blooms when sufficient energy is accumulated. Cycles can range between a few years to a decade.
LIVE STREAM: Corpse flowers bloom in Washington, D.C.
The U.S. Botanic Garden says this week is the first bloom for its three plants. It is also the first time in North America that an institution has three corpse flower plants blooming at the same time.
