The GVSU corpse flower may have surprised everyone by producing its second-ever, rotting-flesh-odor bloom years earlier than anyone expected , but one thing was not a surprise: It has been a sensation.
When the rare Amorphophallus titanum, lovingly called "The Beast" by those at GVSU, recently showed signs of blooming at its home in the Barbara Kinschi Greenhouse, Biology Department representatives asked officials at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park if they could display the blooming plant instead. They agreed.
Those at GVSU were mindful that when the plant last bloomed in 2022, thousands of people came to the Allendale Campus to experience the odorous wonder. They knew they didn't have the staffing during the slower time on campus to accommodate those crowds again, leading to their outreach to loan the plant to Meijer Gardens.
At one point, Meijer Gardens reported a three-hour wait to see the rare tropical plant, which is native to Sumatra and smells like rotting flesh to attract pollinators such as carrion beetles and flesh flies.
The full bloom is fleeting, having already reached its full impact as June 18 dawned. By June 19, it was closing back up.
Once again, The Beast has fascinated its visitors.
