West Michigan's Most Famous Flower Smells Like Roadkill
The famous corpse flower is blooming again this week, and it smells as bad as everyone says
Allendale — Something very exciting is happening in West Michigan this week. Grand Valley State University’s famous corpse flower, “The Beast,” just bloomed. And yes, it really does smell as bad as everyone says.
These plants are extremely rare. They produce one of the largest flowering structures in the world, only bloom once every two to ten years, and only stay in bloom for a day or two. Getting to see one in person is a pretty special opportunity. But those aren’t the only reasons this plant is so unique.
Unlike most flowers, this plant gets its name, “corpse flower,” from an unusually potent and unpleasant smell. People have described it as rotting meat, decaying flesh, and even roadkill.
I thought maybe everyone was being dramatic about the smell. But honestly, it was foul. I could smell it from the second I stepped in the elevator, way before even reaching the greenhouse.
Luckily, the awful smell isn’t just there to make visitors’ eyes water. Native to Sumatra, the plant uses its stench to attract flies and beetles that normally seek out dead animals. Those insects help pollinate it.
Corpse flowers are endangered, with fewer than 1,000 estimated to remain in the wild. This one has been at Grand Valley since 2015, when retired biomedical sciences professor Tim Strickler donated it after growing it in his yard.
The plants typically go four to five years between blooms, but since arriving in Allendale, The Beast has had other plans.
It first bloomed in 2022, drawing about 3,500 visitors. Staff didn’t expect it to bloom again for another seven to 10 years. But to their surprise, just two years later, it bloomed while on loan to Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park.
And now, like clockwork, two years later, The Beast has decided to show off its memorable aroma once again.
Despite its size and rarity, the plant doesn’t require much special care. Greenhouse supervisor Christina Hipshier keeps its tropical room around 70 degrees with roughly 70% humidity and regular misting, and that’s about all it really takes. And luckily for everyone working nearby, the plant only smells bad when it’s in bloom.
The Beast will only be in peak bloom for another 24 hours at most, so if you want to see and smell it for yourself, now’s your chance.
It’s located at the Barbara Kindschi Greenhouse in Kindschi Hall of Science on Grand Valley’s Allendale campus. Visiting hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday and Friday, Oct. 15–16, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 17–18.
