Corpse Flower Ready to Stink Up San Antonio Zoo This Month
Hey Texans, here's a heads-up. Something stinky is about to happen at the San Antonio Zoo. But the stench won't keep away people wanting to see this rare blooming of a Corpse Flower.
The San Antonio Zoo announced recently that they are "in full bloom watch" and are inviting people to go to see the flower, with the smelly bloom expected to happen later this month. This is believed to be the first ever blooming of a Corpse Flower in San Antonio.
What is a Corpse Flower?
The Corpse Flower is a rainforest plant from Indonesia that gets its name from the very potent smell it releases when it blooms. The smell has been described as the worst smell ever, comparable to the smell of roadkill and other nasty things. Gross.
While it can take up to 10 years for one to bloom, this particular one is almost 20 years ago, according to <a href="https://texashighways.com/travel-news/whats-that-smell-san-antonio-zoos-corpse-flower-is-ready-to-bloom/" target="_blank">Texas Highways.</a>
Why such a fascination with a flower that smells like death?
The flower is one of the largest flowering structures in the world. That, and the fact that they only bloom once every 7-10 years makes it a rare occurrence. Plus the flower's bloom only lasts about 36 hours.
Personally, I don't think I could check out a flower that smells like a bar bathroom on a Saturday night. Luckily, you can check out the San Antonio Zoo's live feed of the flower and see the bloom through the safety of a lens.
In the meantime, the zoo continues to monitor the flower and provide updates on the progress of the stinky bloom. They have even given it a name.
It is an amazing-looking flower and at least it doesn't smell bad until it actually blooms. But, I'm willing to bet it will singe the hairs in your nostrils.