ALLENDALE, Mich. — Grand Valley State University's corpse flower, which is known for emitting the smell of rotting flesh, is blooming for the first time.
Because of the plant's size, it only blooms once every seven to 10 years, although mature plants may bloom more often. The flower was donated to the university seven years ago by professor emeritus of biomedical sciences Tim Strickler.
Now, officials are waiting for the flower to bloom enough to release its scent, which draws flies that pollinate the plant.
GVSU greenhouse supervisor Christina Hipshier says the flower, while interesting due to its smell, is also visually striking.
"It's beautiful; it's this deep burgundy when it opens up. And it's such an unusual shape," Hipshier said. "It's not something that you see every day."
The flower is kept in GVSU's greenhouse, which is kept at 70 degrees with high levels of humidity. Hipshier says the corpse flower is fairly easy to grow, as long as it isn't overwatered.
Corpse flowers are native to Sumatra and are rare, officials say.
Anyone who is interested in seeing the corpse flower can visit the greenhouse from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. Sunday. If the flower is still blooming next week, the greenhouse will be open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more information and to see more photos of the corpse flower, click here.
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