We thought we might have to wait until 2024, but Morty the corpse flower, which bloomed in 2014 with the smell of rotting flesh, is ready to bloom again at the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens. The corpse flower blooms just once every six to ten years.
“It is hard to predict when the plant may be in full bloom, but our best estimate of bloom time would be within six weeks,” said Dave Swarts, president/CEO.
Morty can grow about two to eight inches per day and can reach six to eight feet tall. When it is in full bloom, the flower, and its accompanying stench, lasts only 24-48 hours. During its short bloom, the Botanical Gardens plans to have extended hours as it did the last time Morty bloomed.
Morty will be on public display inside the Botanical Gardens and, depending on the bloom, will be on display through the summer. After it flowers, the plant wilts and the stench fades.
Updates will be available on the Botanical Gardens’ website, Facebook page, Twitter and Instagram accounts – @buffalogardens and through Morty’s Twitter account @Mortystinks. Like and follow to keep up to date with Morty’s progress and please use hashtags #CorpseFlower and #MortyStinks when posting.
Amorphophallus titanum, corpse flower (its common name), is in the arum family and is native to the rainforests of Sumatra, Indonesia.
Corpse flowers are famous for their huge blooms and their horrible smell, like rotting flesh, while in bloom.
When they are not blooming they send up enormous leaf structures to collect energy to bloom again in the future. Morty leafed in October 2015.
