Last weekend we heard on the radio that an amorphophallus gigas, a “corpse flower”, was blooming in the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

The BBG acquired the plant in 2018 and this was the first time it was blooming, a flowering that was only going to last two or three days at most.

These plants produce flowers extremely rarely. One can wait between three and twenty years. This one took almost seven years since arriving at the BBG. Its cousin the titan arum last bloomed in 2006, and we are still waiting for a repeat performance.

So yes, it was worth making a special trip to the garden for this unique sight. As you will see, Ed and I were not the only ones who thought so.

Oh, and why is it called the “corpse flower”. We’ll sniff out that sensation too.

But first, for landscape beauty and to build anticipation, some pics of the BBG in winter.

The line of people come to see the corpse flower.

We would be waiting outside in the cold for an hour.

Finally we were let into the green houses, where we waited on line another 10 minutes.

And then, there it was, the “corpse flower”, and only a short “fly-by” to take it all in.

Speaking of the titan arum, this picture from the BBG website is from when that plant flowered in 2006. As you can see, the titan arum flower is 5 – 6 feet tall. The amorphophallus gigas, while impressive, is very much dwarfed by the titan arum. The BBG website includes a cool time-lapse video of the titan arum flower’s fabulous but short existence.

Selfie with Corpse Flower.

Ed taking a whiff.

It’s the odor the flower emits that gives it its mortifying name. It truly smells like carrion. You have to get close to smell it, but when you do, hoo boy!

The line to see the flower was even longer when we left.