'Corpse plant' set to bloom at Rollins College

WINTER PARK, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) - Rollins College greenhouse manager Alan Chryst has been watching and waiting for the school's Amorphophallus titanum -- commonly known as a corpse plant or corpse flower  -- to bloom.  When in bloom, the plant smells like rotting flesh, hence the name. 

The 12-year-old corpse plant is housed in the Hauck Research Center on campus.  You can keep an eye on its progress via a live greenhouse webcam set up by the college.

The bloom and the stench of corpse plants last only about 36 hours before the flower collapses entirely.  Chryst says, as odd and repulsive as these plants might seem, their size, color, and odor are very alluring to the insects they need to attract for pollination.

For locals, the greenhouse is hosting special viewing hours on May 7 and 8 from 3:30 – 6:30 p.m.  Click here to see the visitation schedule.