The Milwaukee Mitchell Park Domes' famous stinky 'Corpse Flower' is opening and will be in "full bloom" when the facility opens on Friday, according to Domes officials.
According to an email, the stinky flower named “Musky” is opening and will be in full bloom by the time they open Friday, July 21 at 9 a.m.
Officials said the bloom is short-lived, lasting only about 24-36 hours.
The Domes' hours are Thursday and Friday 9-5; Saturday and Sunday 9-4.
When the flower blooms, it releases a smell that some describe as rotting flesh or dead animals.
While the Domes are usually closed on Tuesdays, they opened specifically for the flower expected to bloom soon.
“It wreaks of road kill and dead flesh basically,” Mary Braunreiter said. “It’s like the time you took that mouse out of the mouse trap in your basement.”
Braunreiter, a horticulturist at the Domes, said the flower only blooms every eight years. The plant is native to Sumatra, Indonesia, and is now endangered.
Known as Amorphophallus titanum, the 5 1/2-foot flower sits inside the tropical dome.
The strong odor helps the plant attract flies and beetles, so they can pollinate the female parts of the plant and reproduce.
“You might want to cover your nose so you don’t have to smell it,” Logan Dasada, another visitor, joked.
Dozens of people from all over the city, and even the country, came to the Domes Tuesday to try to catch it in bloom.
“I’m glad it hasn’t bloomed yet because I don’t want to smell it,” Tom Van Too, a visitor, smiled.
