NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — At least it's pretty.
A corpse flower—known scientifically as Amorphophallus gigas —will soon bloom at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, an event that occurs only every two to 10 years. The plant is native to Sumatra, the largest island in Indonesia, and produces a unique flower head that will last only a few days.
As the plant prepares to unfurl its petals, it releases a natural odor that is often compared to rotting flesh, hence the flower's name. The scent is meant to lure corpse-attracted pollinators.
"Amorphophallus gigas is a close relative of the more common in cultivation Amorphophallus titanum, the corpse flower that often makes the news," Brooklyn Botanic Garden gardener Chris Sprindis said. "I think this is an equally impressive species, though less known in cultivation. Like the titanum, it will smell like rotting flesh."
Amorphophallus gigas.Peter Slattery/Brooklyn Botanic Garden
According to a social media post by the Brooklyn Botanic Garden made six days ago, the plant will likely start blooming in the coming days.
A commenter asked if there was a live feed or way of knowing when the flower will bloom, and the garden responded that there was no live feed, "but keep an eye on our social media for updates!"
Wednesday morning, the garden posted on its Instagram story a picture of the flower with the caption: "Update! No bloom yet…".
The flower is kept in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden's Aquatic House. The garden is open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and is currently holding its annual "winter weekdays," which allows visitors to pay what they wish for entrance.
Tickets are available on the Brooklyn Botanic Garden website.
