The Washington, D.C., Corpse Flower’s First Bloom Is Haunting Noses All Over the City

Its stench is even more impressive than its height.

It’s the season of the corpse flower in Washington, D.C., and the deadly stench is attracting tourists to the scene of the crime: the U.S. Botanic Garden. 

Corpse flowers are known for their vibrant, 8-foot-tall blooms—and for smelling like, well, a corpse. They’re a rare occurrence, with an estimated less than 1,000 left in the wild. And that number has been declining at an alarming rate. 

Not only are these plants difficult to spot, it’s even more uncommon to catch them in full bloom: They take up to 10 years to produce their first flower. After that, they only bloom once every four years. To make things even more limited, they only last for up to three days. 

Related: 23 of the Most Fragrant Flowers That Add Sweet Scents to Any Garden

This is the first time this particular corpse flower has ever bloomed at the U.S. Botanic Garden, producing a flower only about six years after planting. In its short lifespan, the bloom has already become quite the local celebrity. 

Besides the hoards of botanists, tourists, news outlets, and D.C. residents clamoring to catch sight (and scent) of the newest corpse flower, it’s also picked up a lot of attraction on social media. Of course, the Botanic Garden’s announcement post itself provides all the essential information—though you’re sure to find plenty of other shots of the flower on YouTube and Instagram.

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A post shared by U.S. Botanic Garden (@usbotanicgarden)

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According to the Garden, this corpse flower’s seeds were first planted in 2018, and its first bloom began opening the night of July 21. The Instagram post also announced extended hours to help the masses find a time to visit the rare flower.

“We went during extended hours but they were at max capacity so we couldn’t get in line to see it,” despairs one commenter.

The Botanic Garden also shared a few thermal images. This is because when the corpse flower blooms, its temperature raises to help create the potent scent, attracting the plant’s pollinators (which are unsurprisingly bugs like flies or carrion beetles). According to the post, this flower in particular reached 92 degrees Fahrenheit.

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If you’re lucky enough to visit D.C.’s corpse flower before the bloom dies, you’ll probably notice a large hole cut into the base of the plant. This isn’t a natural occurrence—rather, the Botanic Garden is collecting seeds to germinate and produce more decomposing-smelling blooms later on.

Not able to hit to catch a whiff of this rare flower? You’re in luck: The U.S. Botanic Garden predicts another corpse flower is about to bloom. They haven’t yet seen any signs of movement but expect it could start to open up any day now.

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