Pretty Pungent: Rare Corpse Flower Blooms In Volunteer Park

KUOW

Published September 12, 2014 at 8:51 AM AKDT

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The Volunteer Park Conservatory is planning on staying open late on the day that 'Edgar Allan Pew' finally blooms. David Helgeson said last time such an event occurred, he was there until midnight.

KUOW Photo/Kara McDermott

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A non-flowering Amorphophallus titanum reaches to the ceiling of the conservatory. One of these plans can grow up to 20 feet high with a flower of 7-12 feet and a tuber weighing 120-160 pounds.

KUOW Photo/Kara McDermott

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Senior gardener David Helgeson describes the appeal of the corpse flower to KUOW's Posey Gruener. Not everyone is a fan though -- he said a recent bride was worried that her conservatory wedding was going to overlap with the flower's pungent blooming.

KUOW Photo/Kara McDermott

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Flies buzz around the corpse flower. Helgeson said that was a good sign that the plant's blooming was imminent.

KUOW Photo/Kara McDermott

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The corpse flower was growing about an inch a day, but seems to have topped out at 36 inches. Helgeson said staff was checking it every hour.

KUOW Photo/Kara McDermott

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Helgeson said that once the flower opens a chemical reaction occurs that will make the tuber hot in order to spread the scent even further. He described the smell as akin to 'roadkill that's been laying in the sun for several days.'

KUOW Photo/Kara McDermott

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At last! The corpse flower bloomed Friday morning.

Courtesy of Friends of the Conservatory at Volunteer Park

Friends of the Conservatory at Volunteer Park confirmed this morning that their Amorphophallus titanum, better known at the corpse flower, has burst out in all its short-lived and pungent glory.

The flower blooms only about once every three years for 24 to 48 hours and releases a putrid smell to attract carrion beetles.

Senior gardener David Helgeson compared the smell to "roadkill that’s been laying in the sun for several days."

Helgeson gave KUOW producer Posey Gruener a tour of the conservatory and the corpse flower Thursday day morning before it bloomed.

The conservatory will be open until 9 p.m. Friday to allow "nosy" spectators to take in the bloom.