Corpse Flower Update: Stinky grew .5" and is now 5' 1" tall. The outer leaves are falling away so the bloom will likely occur Sun or Mon. #StinkyDBG
Posted by Denver Botanic Gardens on Saturday, August 15, 2015
DENVER, Aug. 17 (UPI) -- A live webcam is tracking the progress of the "corpse flower" at Denver Botanic Gardens ahead of its expected Monday blooming.
The corpse flower, aka Amorphophallus titanum -- Latin for a giant, misshapen penis -- had been expected to bloom during the weekend, but did not drop any of its leaves until early Monday.
Officials said the more than 5-foot-tall plant, named for the stench it gives off during its 48-hour blooming period, was dubbed "Stinky" by garden workers.
"It uses that odor to attract [beetles and flies] that then pollinate the flowers inside," curator Nick Snakenberg told KCNC-TV.
Stinky was measured as growing 3/4 of an inch from Saturday to Sunday, a good sign that blooming is near.
A live webcam was set up on YouTube by KUSA-TV to track the progress of the 15-year-old plant's blooming.
