Stench of Corpse Flower Draws Crowds … to NYBG

More than 2 million people turned to social media in 2016 when the last Corpse flower bloomed at the New York Botanical Gardens.–Photo courtesy Allan Reyes

STENCH OF “CORPSE FLOWER” DRAWS CROWDS TO NYBG
By David Greene

Thousands of flower and plant enthusiasts paid a visit this past weekend to the New York Botanical Gardens as kick-off to the unusual Corpse flower 24-hour blooming event at the New York Botanical Garden on Southern Boulevard.

Native to the island of Sumatra, the flower can grow up to 12 feet tall. Also known as the Amorphophallus titanum, the flower gets its name from its scent, that many say smells like rotten meat. The scent apparently attracts pollinators that feed on the carcasses of dead animals.

More than 2 million people turned to social media in 2016 when the last Corpse flower bloomed at the New York Botanical Gardens. Photo courtesy Anna Falcon

At one time the unusual flower was designated as the official flower of the Bronx by Stanley Isaacs, in 1939 until the daylilly took the title in 2006.

As the plant bloomed, NYBG provided live updates on social media.

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