MILWAUKEE – It’s a rare sight at the Mitchell Park Domes Saturday evening – not one but two corpse flowers are in bloom at the conservatory. The flowers, named “Penelope” and “Pepe le Pew,” will only be in bloom for less than a day.
Corpse flowers are known for their pungent smell, which is described as stinking like rotten flesh. Horticulturist Amanda Garchow told WTMJ there’s a good reason why the flowers have evolved to have such a strong odor
“It smells that way because it’s to attract its pollinators,” Garchow said. “Carrion flies and beetles are usually what pollinate the corpse flower.”
Garchow said the central stem of the flower heats up to simulate body heat and spreads the odor a long ways to attract those insects. Corpse flowers only bloom once every six or seven years, and the Domes has already celebrated one bloom recently, in May 2023.
Garchow said the Domes has eight corpse flowers which are all cloned from the same bloom. She said that’s why the flowers have bloomed relatively close together
“About two more haven’t bloomed for us yet,” she said.
If you can’t make it to the Domes to check out the corpse flowers before the bloom is over, Garchow said there’s a good likelihood you won’t have to wait the full six or seven years to get a chance to check out another.
“There’s a pretty good chance you’ll get to see another one in the next few years here,” she said.
The Domes will be open until 8 p.m. Saturday evening and will be open Sunday morning as well to allow people a chance to view the corpse flowers before the bloom is over.
“It’s a really cool thing to come experience,” Garchow said.
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