Rare corpse flower blooms at Como Zoo's conservatory, reeks of rotting flesh
Visitors will have a chance Wednesday to experience the pungent smell of the corpse flower that is blooming at St. Paul's Como Park Zoo and Conservatory.
The flower, affectionately named "Frederick," stands at 81 inches tall and emits a smell that some describe as the odor of rotting flesh, the conservatory says. The scent attracts pollinators such as beetles and flies.
According to the conservatory, Frederick grew from a seed at the Greater Des Moines Botanic Garden. This year is its first bloom at age 8. Corpse flowers can take seven to 10 years to bloom for the first time, and afterwards typically bloom every two to three years.
The flower — amorphophallus titanium — can grow up to 9 feet tall and is native to the rainforests of Sumatra, Indonesia. It's classified as endangered due to habitat loss fueled by palm oil production.
Visitors to the conservatory can see — and smell — the flower from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Wednesday. On other days, hours are from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
For those who would like to experience the corpse flower from a distance, the conservatory has set up a live