ST. LOUIS — Visitors at the Missouri Botanical Garden witnessed the rare blooming of a spectacular corpse flower.
The eight-foot tall plant, named Olivia, began opening its leaves Sunday afternoon, exposing its tall spike of small flowers.
The corpse flower (Amorphophallus titanum) is a native of Indonesia and derives its name by giving off a stink of rotting flesh. The stench and coloration attracts pollinators like flies, according to the Garden.
The bloom is expected to last anywhere from 24 to 36 hours. The Garden is offering free admission from 10:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. at the Linnean House, where Octavia is blooming.
Corpse flowers do not have an annual blooming cycle. They only bloom when they have enough energy stored in a large underground stem called a corm. It also depends on conditions like temperature and humidity. The blooms are rare and can vary from a few years or more than a decade.
The last time Octavia bloomed was in 2022 and previous blooms include 2021, 2019, 2016, 2014, and 2013. This is the 13th corpse flower bloom at the Missouri Botanical Garden.