'World’s smelliest plant': Wheaton livestreams blooming giant corpse flower. How to watch

Amelia Stern, The Enterprise
Updated ·2 min read

NORTON — Plants might not be the first thing you think of when you hear the phrase "putrid stench of rotting flesh."

Well, think again.

Wheaton College's rare example of an amorphophallus titanium, better known as a corpse flower — a giant flower that only blooms after many years and smells like rotting flesh when it does — is expected "to do its magnificent stinky thing soon for the first time in nearly a decade," a representative for the college said in a written statement Thursday.

"All eyes are on the college’s greenhouse," campus officials said last week.

The much-anticipated and short-lived blooming is likely to happen the week of July 17 and only last a day or two, the statement said.

This rare example of an amorphophallus titanium, better known as a corpse flower — a giant flower that only blooms after many years and smells like rotting flesh when it does — is located at Wheaton College and is expected to bloom some time in the week of July 17, 2023.
This rare example of an amorphophallus titanium, better known as a corpse flower — a giant flower that only blooms after many years and smells like rotting flesh when it does — is located at Wheaton College and is expected to bloom some time in the week of July 17, 2023.

Described as “unspeakably stinky and unpredictable” in its blooming cycle, the corpse flower has earned the reputation of being something of "a rockstar in the plant world for its massive displays, and more notoriously, for its putrid stench of rotting flesh," the statement said.

According to the U.S. Botanic Garden, the corpse flower is unique due to its size — frequently growing up to 8 feet tall — unique smell and fleeting blooming cycle.

Why does the corpse flower stink?

“These plants often take seven to eight years to bloom and the flowers only last a few days,” says Ben Robbins, greenhouse horticulturist at Wheaton. “It's the largest flower structure in the world and smells like rotting flesh to attract pollinators.”

Guinea pig glut Why Brockton shelter is overflowing with guinea pigs and what can be done

Why is the corpse flower so rare and where does it come from?

Native to the Sumatra region of Indonesia, these rainforest flowers are listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, making the rare occurrence all the more exciting.

“The main reasons for the decline are logging and the conversion of the plant’s native forest habitat to oil palm plantations,” the U.S. Botanic Garden wrote. Watch the livestream of the flower bloom over the next few days here.

'No one's been enforcing anything' Inside Brockton's heated school forum

How to watch the corpse flower bloom

When Wheaton says "all eyes are on the college’s greenhouse" — they're not kidding.

Robbins and his Wheaton colleagues have set up a livestream and are excited to see the corpse flower bloom in the days ahead, the statement said.

To keep an eye on this extravagantly smelly showstopper visit the livestream at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BLRuptIOSc.

This article originally appeared on The Enterprise: Giant corpse flower about to bloom at Wheaton College in Norton, MA,