Today In Davis: Corpse Flower And Rotting Flesh

The Corpse Flower at the UC Davis Botanical Conservatory only blooms once every two years, meaning students who finish in four years only get to witness it twice. That’s what makes anticipated bloom so special.

Oh yeah, that and the fact that the plant emits the pungent smell of rotting flesh when it blooms. The smell is released to attract flies and carrion beetles for the pollination of female flowers within the plant, according to the UC Davis website.

Check out the YouTube video on the right to see when the plant, nicknamed “Ted the Titan,” bloomed back in 2007. Head on over to the conservatory if you’d like to take a whiff.

Also: It’s “National Chocolate Éclair Day,” so head on over to Ciocolat if you can’t get the flesh smell out of your nose.