What is the Foul-Smelling Flower Set to Bloom in Colorado Soon?

If you fancy yourself a fan of the macabre, or botany, or are just looking for something to do this coming Memorial Day weekend, a rare flower known for its rancid odor will be blooming in Colorado in the near future.

Affectionately known as the corpse flower due to the stench it emits upon blooming, a specimen that has been growing for roughly seven years by the Plant Growth Facility Conservatory at Colorado State University in Fort Collins will likely be making its first bloom ever this coming weekend.

So, what is this corpse flower and why does it have such a morbid nickname?

What is the Corpse Flower Set to Bloom in Colorado Soon?

The corpse flower or corpse plant gets its English name from the Indonesian words bunga, which translates to flower, and bangkai, which translates to corpse or cadaver, due to its rancid smell upon blooming.

Get our free mobile app

The stench emitted from the plant is said to be comparable to that of a rotting corpse; a trait that attracts beetles and flies that are normally attracted to rotting flesh to the plant for pollination.

The plant is said to mimic the stench so greatly due to the limited amount of time available for pollination as the corpse flower only remains in bloom for two or three days and the smell begins to slowly dissipate almost immediately.

It's estimated that the best time to see (and smell) CSU's corpse plant will be this coming Saturday, May 25, between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.