CLEVELAND — Cleveland Metroparks Zoo said its famous “corpse flower” is in bloom.
According to the zoo, the plant started to bloom Wednesday night. Zoo officials said the corpse flower typically blooms for around 24 hours every few years.
Zoo officials said the last time its corpse flower bloomed was back in 2019. This is the fifth time in nearly 30 years it’s bloomed.
According to the zoo, the corpse flower gets its name from the scent it releases during bloom, which is comparable to decomposition.
Kelly Birch and her family waited nearly 40 minutes Thursday to experience the foul-smelling plant firsthand.
“I smells like rotting meat,” said Spencer Birch.
It’s a response shared by many who came out to catch a glance and a whiff of the plant..
“There’s both the beauty part and the stinky part that our guests like,” said Andi Kornak, deputy executive director of Cleveland Metroparks Zoo.
It’s not just the stinky scent that attracts guests; the sheer size of the plant is something many can’t believe.
According to Kornak, the corpse flower can grow up 10-feet tall, making it one of the largest flowering plants in the world.
If you can’t make it out to the zoo, you can view the corpse flower online by clicking here.
