Titan Arum Set to Stink Up Botanic Garden

By Warren Rojas

Posted July 11, 2013 at 12:27pm

Staffers in need a break from the toxicity of partisan politicking and the now-daily downpours should boogie their way down to the Botanic Garden for a breath of not-so-fresh air: the manifestation of the infamous “corpse flower.”

The titan arum, is set to bloom at the U.S. Botanic Garden no later then Saturday July 13. The flower, which is from the rainforest of Indonesia, only blooms once in several years and can go as long as a decade before blooming. Once fully open it will remain in bloom for 24 to 48 hours. The last time the garden had one bloom was in 2007. (Douglas Graham/CQ Roll Call) — The Titan Arum is set to bloom at the U.S. Botanic Garden no later then Saturday, July 13. The flower, which is from the rainforest of Indonesia, only blooms once in several years and can go as long as a decade before blooming. Once fully open, it will remain in bloom for 24 to 48 hours. The last time the garden had one bloom was in 2007. (Douglas Graham/CQ Roll Call)

Per the USBG, the fabled flower, which breezed into town this morning, only blooms for around 48 hours.

But once it opens up, look out.

“Its putrid smell is most potent during peak bloom at night into the early morning. The odor is often compared to the stench of rotting flesh,” botanists warn, noting that the signature stink is like a beacon designed to “attract pollinators, such as dung and carrion beetles, from across long distances.”

The plant last came around in 2007. So if you can’t wait another six years to fill your nostrils with eau de decay, head down to the climate-controlled conservatory ASAP.