NORFOLK, Va. — You wait years for this massive flower to open its petals, and when it finally does – it smells like rotting flesh.
Norfolk Botanical Garden's rare corpse flower, Lady Macdeath, is ready to bloom in the next few days.
The corpse flower was named by the public after more than 1,000 votes. Lady Macdeath is expected to bloom anytime between July 4 and July 8, though nature sets the schedule, the Norfolk Botanical Garden said. The flower blooms only briefly, typically reaching peak bloom for 24 to 48 hours, and may not bloom again for another 5 to 10 years.
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The plant's dramatic growth will suddenly slow as the bloom approaches, signaling it is just around the corner. The bloom will offer visitors a rare opportunity to witness a plant that is famous for its dramatic size, brief bloom window, and unmistakable scent, Norfolk Botanical Garden said.
Native to the rainforests of Sumatra, Indonesia, the corpse flower is among the rarest plants on Earth, with fewer than 1,000 believed to remain in the wild.
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