Corpse Flower At UNC Charlotte Is Expected To Bloom Soon

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA — Stinker Bell is a Titan Arum or a Corpse Flower that sits 3 feet and 2 inches tall at UNC Charlotte Botanical Gardens.

This Sumatra native flower is expected to bloom in the next couple of days at the McMillan Greenhouse. This is a big deal because these inflorescences do not frequently bloom.

Those who go visit the Corpse Flower will be in awe of its striking appearance, but beware of the odor.

Jeff Gillman, director of the UNCC Botanical Gardens, says, “It doesn’t really smell just like a corpse. It smells like a cross between a corpse and a bag of old poopy diapers. Somewhere between there.”

The smell is to attract creatures, like flies and beetles, that can help the Titan Arum reproduce.

The Titan Arum can reach over 10 feet in height.