Rare 'corpse flower' expected to bloom on Oahu

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Botanists predict the Amorphophallus titanum, or corpse flower, at the Foster Botanical Garden on Oahu will open Friday afternoon. This rare, exotic flower should be fully open late Friday night and begin closing on Saturday.

At roughly four feet tall, the Amorphophallus titanum is the largest flower in the world. Contributing to the plant's exotic allure is its pungent odor of rotting flesh, which serves to attract the carrion beetles that pollinate the flower. This short lived flower only blooms once every 3 to 5 years.

Foster Botanical Garden also announced today that another of its Amorphophallus titanium is anticipated to bloom in the next two weeks.

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