Rare Corpse Flower Draws Crowds to UNC Charlotte

[gtxvideo vid=”jEIdUPuE” playlist=”” pid=”Bbt3TRDe” thumb=”http://player.gtxcel.com/thumbs/jEIdUPuE.jpg” vtitle=”corpse flower”]

CHARLOTTE, NC — There’s something stinky in the air on the UNC Charlotte campus, and it’s drawing tons of visitors.

The school’s Botanical Gardens is home to a rare corpse flower that just started blooming Friday, and won’t last long.  WCCB Charlotte’s Amy Cowman went to get a whiff and glimpse of the rare flower.

 “It’s not like everyday you see a giant flower out of nowhere and just like, whoa,” said one young visitor.

And that’s exactly what brought crowds out to UNC Charlotte’s Botanical Garden to see the rare corpse flower named “Odie”.

“Big, stinky and it only lasts for two days,” said Paula Gross of the Botanical Garden.

So it’s come now, or miss getting a glimpse and whiff.

“I been here two times, soccer practice, and I’ve seen it here, but it was so small and was like ‘dang it’.  Then now am seeing it and like ‘yes!'” said another young fan.

The corpse flower only blooms every 5 years or so, with only 5 to 10 of them ready to bloom any given summer across the country, so it’s pretty special to be here at UNCC.

“This is one of the rarest flowers in the world, one of the largest flowers in the world and one of the stinkiest flowers in the world,” added Gross.

All smells aside, locals were thrilled to get a glimpse and pic they might not ever get the chance to capture again.

“It’s awesome.  It’s one of a kind.  It’s beautiful,” said a third visitor.

If you want to see the corpse flower, you can go to UNC Charlotte’s Botanical Garden all day Saturday.

It will be open for viewing before the flower closes back up again.