Rare Corpse Flower to Bloom on Virginia Tech Campus, Release Foul Stench

Never before has the smell of rotting flesh been held in such high regard.

An exotic corpse flower — a rare plant that upon blooming releases a stench similar to that of a decaying carcass — has arrived at Virginia Tech’s Jacob A. Lutz Garden Complex.

It is slated to bloom early next week, according to a Virginia Tech news release.

This will mark the first time the plant has bloomed in five years, making the foul smell well worth the sacrifice to see the flower in person.

The plant, nicknamed “Phil,” is expected to bloom by Wednesday of next week at the latest, and visitors can check out Phil in the Hahn Horniculture Garden adjacent to the Lutz Garden Complex.

Visitors will be welcomed from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m, and they can share their visits with Phil on social media using the hashtag #stinkyphil.

Corpse flowers often range from 7-12 feet tall with a diameter of 3-4 feet. Although the blooming process usually takes about 48 hours, the stench will only occur for the first eight hours of that process, meaning those wishing to experience the stench should continue to monitor exactly when the flower begins to bloom.

Image credit: Virginia Tech