Watch the timelapse of GVSU's corpse flower blooming
Grand Valley State University had a rare — and stinky — sighting this week.
The university welcomed the blooming of a corpse flower in its Barbara Kindschi Greenhouse. Corpse flowers are known to be large and have a very powerful smell, and the time when it blooms and then goes dormant is quick.
According to the United States Botanic Garden, the plants grow up to 8 feet tall and the odor it emits is compared to the "stench of rotting flesh." Corpse flowers are rare, with only 1,000 remaining, USBG says.
Viewers were able to visit GVSU's campus to see the flower bloom and experience the smell. The greenhouse posted Friday that viewings were finished.
In 2018, Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park in Grand Rapids had a viewing of a corpse flower.
According to the university: "The greenhouse was open late on April 18 when the plant was at its odorous peak. The stench was fleeting; by April 21, the flower and the smell were fading fast."
The university said the plant will die back to soil level and the bulb will go dormant. Corpse flowers bloom only when sufficient energy is accumulated, making time between flowering unpredictable and can span from a few years to more than a decade, USBG said.