Video: Pungent Voodoo Lily Blooms at Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley

Visitors to the on Friday and this weekend will catch a whiff of something other than animals as they walk the Tropics Trail.

A now four-foot-tall voodoo lily the zoo acquired as a tuber from the Como Conservatory about a year ago bloomed Friday morning, releasing the smell that many describe as rotting meat, and attracting flies to pollinate it. It should stay in bloom through the weekend, said Kim Thomas, the zoo's horticulture supervisor.

Thomas said this is the first time she's worked with this type of plant. She didn't expect the flower to bloom in its first year at the zoo, she said.

"This is the coolest thing in a really long time," she said. While known for its stench, the flower, which somewhat resembles a calla lily in shape, is almost beautiful "in a creepy way," Thomas said.

The flower is featured along the Tropics Trail near the Bali mynah exhibit. It's native to Japan, China and Indonesia.

So far the smell hasn't been too overwhelming, Thomas said.

Some places have removed the plant because the odor has gotten so strong, she said, but the flower is in a one-and-a-half acre area at the zoo that's well ventilated because of all the animals, she said.

Thomas said it's exciting that a plant has become a zoo attraction.

"Plants don't get a whole lot of attention," she said. "We're sort of in the background."