Corpse Flower "Rotney the Magnifiscent" at UNC Charlotte has bloomed
CHARLOTTE, NC (FOX 46 WJZY) - It's a sight that's something to behold and a smell that's as revolting as it is amazing. One of the Corpse Flowers at UNC Charlotte Botanical Garden has bloomed, according to university officials.
"Rotney," as the university has named it, is a Titan Arum, a Corpse Flower which can take anywhere from 10-15 years before blooming for the first time. After that, the flower blooms every 3-5 years. The kicker, the bloom only last for 1-2 days, but that may actually be a good thing.
You see these flowers pack a punch-- to your nose. When they bloom, Corpse Flowers literally emit the smell of rotting flesh (yep, we're smelling a flower with the scent of death to bloom). It's something you need to see and smell to get the full experience.
According to the university's website, "Rotney" is the "twin" of one of their other flowers, "Odie," who bloomed in 2015.
WATCH TIMELAPSE OF ODIE BLOOMING
You can watch "Rotney" bloom by visiting the UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens website. They've set up a livestream so you don't miss it. However, the stream does not come complete with smell-o-vision. To really experience everything the Corpse Flower has to offer, you'll need to check it out in person.
Facts about the Titan Arum:
- They grow in in the moist, shady jungles of Sumatra, Indonesia
- Their the largest (tallest) in the world
- They are becoming rarer and rarer
- They really do smell terrible