Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
Arts & Entertainment
SMELL YEAH! The NYBG Unveiled A New Corpse Flower
By
Jen Chung
Published Jun 21, 2018
Modified Jun 22, 2018
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
New York Botanical Garden
View all 4
By
Jen Chung
Published Jun 21, 2018
Modified Jun 22, 2018
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
It's the first day of summer, the perfect time to brace ourselves for the smells that will be wafting from sidewalks. But there's one stinky smell you may be making a specific trip for: The blooming of the corpse flower at the New York Botanic Garden.
The NYBG announced that the Amorphophallus titanum is on display in the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory starting today. The huge plant can also be seen on the livestream—see all the people taking selfies and tagging it #corpseflower:
It takes about 10 years to tend to the plant to the point where it will flower, and the bloom is only for about a day or two, so it truly is an event. The NYBG had a corpse flower bloom in 2016, where there were waits for up to an hour to catch a whiff.
Some describe the smell as being like rotting meat or cabbage, but Marc Hachadourian, Director of the Nolen Greenhouses for Living Collections at the NYBG, told us, "It’s quite a strong odor, really more like rotting meat than socks or any other bad odor. Of course fragrance is subjective and many people will smell other things. The chemical composition of the flower is actually similar to a number of terrible odors all mixed together from rotting fish to limburger cheese." The smell is to attract flesh-eating critters.
The flower actually "pulses" every few minutes and releases more scent, kind of like sidewalk garbage bags in August.
When asked when the corpse flower will actually bloom, NYBG spokesperson Nicholas Leshi said, "It’s so unpredictable. That’s part of its allure. It could be anytime in the next week or two."
He added, "And it could be as early as this weekend, you never know!"
You can also see the plant's progress on Facebook and Instagram. We've reached out to the NYBG to find out when this one is expected to bloom, and will update when we hear back.
Tagged
corpse flower
new york botanical garden
nybg
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE arts-entertainment
The Knicks are NBA champions. Now they have to start dressing the part.
Before they attempt to fend off LeBron James and the 76ers on Tuesday, the Knicks will have a chance to show off their winning mentality through their tunnel fits.
By
Sonia Rao
Published Oct 19, 2026
Will Barnes and Noble in the East Village spell doom for smaller shops? It's complicated.
Independent booksellers are grappling with whether the big-box chain is a threat or an ally in the fight against Amazon.
By
Sonia Rao
Arts & Entertainment
Will Barnes and Noble in the East Village spell doom for smaller shops? It's complicated.
Independent booksellers are grappling with whether the big-box chain is a threat or an ally in the fight against Amazon.
By
Sonia Rao
Can eligible NYC singles find love with 30 minutes and some really spicy food?
By
Elizabeth Shwe
and
James Ramsay
How the NYC Marathon has changed in the last 50 years
By
Hannah Frishberg
A visit to Art of Play, the Brooklyn store in an animatronic bird beef with Kelly Clarkson
By
Sonia Rao
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .