Rare bloom: Corpse flower in full glory - and stench - at NC State
Those watching the livestream of the corpse flower's rare bloom at the JC Raulston Arboretum woke up to a grand surprise: The 8-year-old plant, named Wolfgang, is in full bloom!
These large plants can reach up to 8 to 12 feet tall, and it can take many years for a corpse flower to bloom. Once it does bloom, the enormous purple flower lasts only a scant few days before it collapses.
Corpse flowers are famous, not just for their rarity and unique appearance – but also for their unique odor. They are known for releasing the 'smell of a rotting corpse' as they bloom.
Wolfgang is the fourth corpse flower to bloom at the arboretum – the cousin of Lupin, who was the arboretum's first corpse flower which bloomed in 2019.
The most recent corpse flower at N.C. State bloomed in July 2021.
The JC Raulston Arboretum at 4415 Beryl Road is open to the public.
According to N.C. State horticulturists, the bloom can be more than 6 feet tall and 3 feet wide. It's one of the largest "flowering structures" in the plant kingdom, experts say.
Aboretum director Mark Weathington said, "It has to be a pretty big greenhouse because they get very very tall when it's in leaf."
He added, moving the potted plant outdoors requires delicate care. "We very carefully moved it out here and set it up and it'll be here until the flower completely collapses."
"So this is it's first flower and it's ready to show everybody what it's got," said NC State horticulturist Diane Mays. Mays loves the attention the stinky flower draws.
"I've been taking more pictures of the visitors today and the visitors watching the plan and the plant itself," Mays said.
The plant is strangely beautiful, despite the smell of rotting meat that the plant is also known for.
The Klishiewecz family were eager to see the flower, but at a safe distance. Lisa Klishiewecz said, "I can't smell it, so have you guys caught any whiffs of it?" Sister Elizabeth said, "Yeah I have. It doesn't smell half-as-bad as a chicken coop in the rain, thankfully."
Being associated with NC State University, one might guess the name for the arboretum's popular plant. They named it, "Wolfgang."
