Here in Houston, we're all watching the flowers bloom. Well...just one flower...Lois. Lois is our local Corpse Flower and she's fixin' to bloom this weekend. For the last six years, shes been a quiet resident at the Houston Museum of Natural Science in the Cockrell Butterfly Center. She's suddenly decided the quiet life isn't for her and is raising quite a stink with this blooming business. Lois is quite striking at four and a half feet tall. She rarely chooses to bloom but when she does, she wows the world with a huge, showy, purple flower. In fact, corpse flowers are very rare. Lois' ancestors hail from Sumatra where early explorers thought this giant plant was a man-eater. One of the most fascinating...and repulsive...things about Lois (and probably where she got her man-eating reputation) is her smell. When she bursts into bloom, she emits a horrendous, eye-watering stench resembling a rotting corpse. Isn't that attractive? Actually, it is...to certain insects which are attracted by the stink, make a visit to the flower, and help with the pollination process.
Photo from Kew Gardens
Fortunately for us, we can experience Lois' charms from a distance...stink-free...on the corpse cam. HMNS is staying open 24 hours a day, waiting and watching, for the big moment. Lois...show us!
What an incredible blossom. I am not at all familiar with this plant, but it sounds like one I would like to get to know better.
Posted by: Ann Flower | Thursday, July 15, 2010 at 06:33 AM
Wow - what a gigantic flower! Very impressive! I am glad I am not close enough to sniff her "perfume" LOL!
Thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Renate | Thursday, July 15, 2010 at 12:36 AM
isn't nature just amazing! i've seen this plant on tv and i can't imagine the smell
Posted by: sandra | Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 10:25 PM
how utterly fascinating! thanks for sharing!
Posted by: Lisa Jurist | Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 10:11 PM
There is one of these scheduled to bloom here in MN too. Luckily not in smelling distance.
http://www.startribune.com/local/98167879.html
Posted by: Halle G | Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 03:38 PM
Wow! I have heard of these plants. I am coming to Houston for a brief three days for a trade show...maybe I will get to see these gardens and be inspired!
Enjoy the day!
Erin
Posted by: Erin Prais-Hintz | Wednesday, July 14, 2010 at 02:16 PM