Corpse flower ready to unleash rancid stench on university within days

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WZTV) — Austin Peay State University said a plant of theirs appears ready to unfurl into one of the world’s rarest treasures.

It's a flowering structure, up to 8 feet tall, that emits the odor of rotting meat. Zeus is the nickname for the rare corpse flower that lives in the university's greenhouse.

“We’re used to flowers with sweet smells that attract bees and butterflies,” said Dr. Carol Baskauf, a biology professor at the university. “The nickname for this plant is 'corpse flower' because it smells like rotting, dead meat. It stinks terribly.”

Thepublic university in Clarksville, Tennessee cites a 2010 scientific study that found the corpse flower smells like a combination of cheese, sweat, garlic, decomposing meat, feces and rotting fish.

Called amorphophallus titanum by scientists, corpse flower blooms are extremely rare. As of 2019, only about 500 corpse flower plants lived in university or private collections or botanical gardens.

What makes seeing corpse flower blooms even rarer is the plants take eight to 10 years to produce their first flowers and the blooms last only 24-36 hours.

The university announced Monday the flower could bloom in the first week of June. The central column of Zeus’ flowering structure has begun to emerge. When the plant actually blooms, Zeus will unleash its terrible stink.

Visitors can view the rare plant at Austin Peay’s Sundquist Science Complex greenhouse during viewing hours. The university has extended opening hours so more visitors can attend the extraordinary event.

Plant lovers weary of the smell can also watch Zeus grow and bloom via live stream at the Department of Biology’s titan arum webpage.