Hundreds show up for a stinky flower
14 August 2024
The "corpse flower" bloomed for the first time in Bratislava and not in any burial site but in the Botanical garden. The name originates from the strong smell it produces to attract insects to pollinate the flowers. This plant is known worldwide because of its sheer size (the one in Bratislava is over two metres tall), with the biggest flowering structure in the world. Originally from Sumatra, Indonesia, the corpse flower takes 6-10 years to start blooming and only does so for between 24-36 hours.
 | Tamara Kanuchova Some people waited more than 2 hours to see the endangered flower. The Bratislava Botanical garden extended the opening hours for this unique spectacle, with some visitors leaving after 10 pm. This year, the corpse flower made news in Brussels as well, blooming on 22 May, International Biodiversity Day. The plant even has its own Wikipedia page with all recorded blooming events since 1889. |
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