by Connie Oswald Stofko
Morty, the corpse flower at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, finally bloomed!
It opened in the wee hours of the morning Friday, Aug. 8. I went over around 10 a.m. and shot the video below.
People were lined up Friday to see Morty and lines got longer on Saturday. The lines snaked through the various buildings at the Botanical Gardens, so there was plenty to look at along the way, plus volunteers were on hand to explain about Morty while people waited.
The smell wasn’t especially strong when I was there. The area Morty is in is wide open and people are constantly moving through the space, which helps dissipate the smell. It smelled like a kitchen garbage can that needed washing.
In addition, the smell was stronger at night. Since the Botanical Gardens was open until 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, many people waited to go later to get the full effect.
By Sunday, the flower was closed. The corpse flower blooms just once every six to ten years, so people were excited to see while they had the opportunity.
Although the flower is closed, it remains on display this week and is still impressive to see. The Botanical Gardens are located at 2655 South Park Ave., Buffalo.
Interesting plant, so big and unusual.
What a nice video about our Morty!! Thank you, Connie!!
Loved the video, wish I had one myself. I only have a smaller member of that family. Thanks for your report.
What an amazing plant! Intrigued by the fruit! origins of plant?
The corpse flower is native to Sumatra. See more about the corpse flower here.
All of those amorphophallus plants are interesting. Do you have just one plant?
I have two different varieties, but many pots of both. Each one can be found when searching for voodoo lilies. Everyone who visits my garden comment on how unique this plant is.