What’s That Smell?! Rare Corpse Flower Blooming in Minnesota

A rare and stinky plant is about to bloom in Minnesota for the first time since its arrival in the state.

Amorphophallus titanum, is the scientific name for the Corpse Flower, which is the largest flower in the world, it can reach up to 15 feet tall, and when it blooms it gives off a strong odor of rotting flesh, but only for a short time, so here's how you can knock this one of your bucket list.

The Como Park Zoo and Conservatory in St. Paul has been the home of a Corpse Flower they've nicknamed “Horace” since 2019, and for the first time since its arrival, the flower is getting ready to bloom, and the public is welcome to come take a whiff.

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How You Can See The Corpse Flower in Minnesota

You'll find Horace in the Como’s Exhibit Gallery daily from 10 AM until 6 PM, and they have also set up a live webcam to watch the flower bloom free from the scent of rotting flesh.

How Rare is This Event?

The Como Park Zoo and Conservatory says that there are only about 1,000 Corpse Flowers remaining in the wild, and with how infrequently they bloom, seeing one, or maybe I should say, smelling one, is a rare opportunity.

Is This The Only Corpse Flower in Minnesota?

The Como Zoo isn't the only Corpse Flower in Minnesota, Gustavus Adolphus College in Saint Peter, Minnesota, is the home of a flower they've named "Perry", in 2007 it was the first Corpse Flower to ever bloom in Minnesota, when that event happened more than 7,000 people came to see and smell the rare occurrence. Perry has also flowered in 2010, 2013, and again in 2016. The flower is on display to the public in the Nobel Hall of Science on campus.