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Tommy Brenner, Colorado State University plant growth facility manager, measures Cosmo, an 8-year-old corpse flower, on May 16, 2024, in the plant growth facility conservatory. (John Eisel/CSU)
Corpse Flower of Colorado State University Blooms are expected to peak in early Sunday morning and repulsive glory, CSU officials say.
The public is invited to stop by Fort Collins and sample the popular fragrant flowers.
The flower, named Cosmo, underwent significant changes Saturday afternoon, university spokeswoman Diana Kennedy said in an email. The 8-year-old, Indonesian giant is now expected to bloom early in the morning for the first time in its life, releasing an aroma often compared to a dead body.
As promised, the university will open its campus conservatory from 9 am to 3 pm starting Sunday and continue on a daily schedule until Cosmo returns to idle. Kennedy plans that Sunday and Monday will be the only time to see and smell the short-lived bloom.
Cosmo is on display at CSU’s campus conservatory at 1241 Libby Coy Way in Fort Collins. Admission is free.
For a less scented adventure, there’s also the university Provides live streaming Cosmo’s big moment on its Youtube channel. arrival youtube.com/@ColoradoStateUniversity/streams And click on the corpse flower feed to watch the changes from a safe distance.
Corpse flowers, a tropical species officially known as Amorphophallus titanium, give off their pungent aroma to draw pollinators including flies and carrion beetles. They grow up to 8 feet tall. But the flowers are short-lived and rare. Cosmo won’t stink up the CSU campus again for another three to five years, according to university officials.
The Denver Botanic Garden has two corpse flowers – the stinger and its smaller sibling, the Lil’ Stinger. Lil Stinger last drew long lines to the Tropical Conservatory in 2022.
See more at The Denver Post