Get a whiff of Denver Botanic Gardens’ blooming corpse flower — only for the next 24-36 hours

This weekend at Denver Botanic Gardens, you can see — and smell — something fascinatingly rare: the blooming of a massive corpse flower named Lil Stinker.

The Amorphophallus titanum, known colloquially as a corpse flower, is an absolutely gigantic tropical plant that, when briefly in bloom, emits an incredible odor that often draws long lines from curious plant enthusiasts.

“This odor is a mechanism for the plant to draw in pollinators, including carrion beetles and flies, from as far as a mile away,” Denver Botanic Gardens said on its website, noting that a corpse flower could bloom as often as every 2-3 years. The gardens are home to two such flowers: Stinky and Lil Stinky, found in the Tropical Conservatory.

Once Lil Stinky opens up, the clock is ticking — you’ve only got 24-36 hours to enjoy the s̶m̶e̶l̶l̶ spectacle.

Denver Botanic Gardens gave a visual preview of Lil Stinker’s big moment on social media:

Lil’ Stinker Bloom Alert! You can see (and maybe smell) a corpse flower in the Tropical Conservatory. Lil’ Stinker last bloomed in 2016. We anticipate the flower remaining open for 24-36 hours. Advance, time-entry tickets required. No extended hours. https://t.co/zGKP4nOcg3 pic.twitter.com/HfTLmqY5Fs

— Denver Botanic Gardens (@denverbotanic) June 17, 2022

If you want to check it out, advance, time-entry tickets are required. There will be no extended hours, but the Denver Botanic Gardens are open 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday, Saturday and Sunday. The last possible admission time each day is 7 p.m.

Denver Botanic Gardens, 1007 York St., (720) 865-3500, botanicgardens.org

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