Eastern Illinois University’s rare Titan Arum, or “Corpse Flower” will bloom either Wednesday or Thursday. The tropical flower blooms once approximately every two years. Its last bloom was in 2014.
“The exact date can’t be known until about a day or so before it actually blooms. But when it does bloom, it will happen fast — within hours — and the bloom will only last one night.” said Steven Malehorn, manager of EIU’s H.F. Thut Greenhouse, in a press release earlier in the week.
The Corpse Flower gets its nickname from the strong smell it emits during bloom that reminds many of the smell of roadkill. This is because unlike sweeter smelling flowers that use bees or butterflies to pollinate, the Titan Arum uses flies. In the wild, the intense aroma can be smelled from about a mile away.
The bloom should last for around 12 hours and can be viewed from the south window of the H.F. Thut Greenhouse which is located next to the Biological Sciences Building located at EIU’s Charleston campus. The Greenhouse is currently open from 4-7 p.m. and will remain open to 12 midnight after the bloom occurs. They will also be open for viewing from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. the day after the bloom.
If you want to view the bloom from a “safe” distance, you can view a live video feed here!