Rare Corpse Flower Set to Bloom Again at Gustavus

Note: The Corpse Flower has bloomed! Please click here for updated information.

A Titan Arum, or Amorphophallus titanum, otherwise known as a Corpse Flower is showing signs that it will bloom again in mid to late July at Gustavus Adolphus College.

The Corpse Flower is a rare flowering plant that is only found naturally in the tropical rainforests of Sumatra, Indonesia. With the largest unbranched inflorescence in the world, the Corpse Flower’s name comes from the repulsive scent it emits during the hours after it blooms.

When the Gustavus Corpse Flower last produced an inflorescence in May of 2007, more than 7,000 people came to see the rare plant, which was the first of its kind to bloom in the state of Minnesota.

The College plans to allow visitors to see the plant when it blooms later this month. Visiting dates and times will be posted on the Gustavus website when they become known closer to the blooming of the plant. The plant will be accessible to visitors of all ages and educational programming will also be available. Current estimations are that the plant will bloom sometime between Thursday, July 22 and Saturday, July 24.

The Corpse Flower which currently sits in the Gustavus Department of Biology’s greenhouse, came to the College when Professor of Chemistry Brian O’Brien received 20 seeds in 1993 from a San Francisco physician named James Symon. After years of careful cultivation, the plant finally bloomed for the first time in 2007. The Gustavus Corpse Flower is nicknamed “Perry” and reached a height of approximately eight feet when it bloomed in 2007.

Information for visitors:

• Once the Corpse Flower blooms it will be open to visitors for approximately four days.
• Visiting hours are tentatively set for 8 a.m. until 4 p.m. with the exception of the day that the plant blooms when visiting hours will be slightly extended.
• When you arrive on campus, follow the “Special Event” signs to find convenient parking. Parking on campus is open with the exception of handicapped spaces and fire lanes.
• The greenhouse where the Corpse Flower sits is on the third floor of the Nobel Hall of Science, which is just southwest of Christ Chapel near the center of campus.
• Educational lectures about the Corpse Flower will be available at 10 a.m., 12 p.m., and 2 p.m. on the days after the plant blooms.
• There is no charge to view the Corpse Flower.

Read blog updates and view live webcams of the Gustavus Corpse Flower.

Here is a short video about the Corpse Flower