UPDATE: Rare Corpse Plant Blooms at Selby Gardens

UPDATE June 11 11:44 a.m.

Seymour appears to be closing and will turn dormant today, according to Selby Gardens officials.

The plant closed initially Sunday but reopened, and the Gardens says on its Facebook page that today will be the final day the plant will be in bloom. 

Selby Gardens closes at 5 p.m. today.

Update June 9 3 p.m.:

BREAKING:  Seymour, the corpse plant, bloomed Saturday, according to the Selby Gardens Facebook page.

Selby Gardens encourages folks to come out today or early Sunday as the plant maintains its bloom for less than 24 hours. The Gardens closes at 5 p.m. Saturday and will be open at 10 a.m. Sunday. It's possible the plant might be in bloom Monday, but there are no guarantees.

Earlier: A plant whose bloom is as rare as its scent is unusual is expected to make an appearance any time this weekend at .

Amorphophallus titanum, also referred to as titan arum (its common name), “stinky plant” or “corpse plant,” is known as one of the largest flowers in the world and has not bloomed in the Gardens since 2005.

The full bloom lasts less than a day, before collapsing under its own weight. The last time a corpse plant bloomed at Selby Gardens, it reached a height of nearly five feet.

The corpse plant has the world’s largest unbranched flower cluster (inflorescence) and contains arguably the most noxious smell. Like many fly- and beetle-pollinated plants, the flower emits an odor during the first few hours of opening that is reminiscent of putrid meat.

As with other plants in its family, such as calla lily, the corpse bloom consists of a fragrant spadix of flowers wrapped by a spathe resembling a single large petal. The spadix is topped with a large, creamy-white appendage, giving the plant its towering height.

It is rare for anyone to see this plant flower in the U.S. A native of Sumatra, Indonesia, the corpse plant is listed on the World Conservation Union’s Red List of Threatened Species. 

Visitors can view – and smell – the flowering giant inside Selby Gardens’ Tropical Conservatory from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily while it’s in bloom.

The plant could bloom any time this weekend, but is most likely anticipated to be sometime Monday or Tuesday, according to organizers.