Where to Find the Famous Corpse Flower in New York

There's a flower that can grown up to 15 feet tall and smells like a decaying body... and New Yorkers can't get enough of it.

The famous (or infamous if you hate the smell of corpses) flower is one of the most amazing plant specimens on the entire planet. Native to the rainforests of Indonesia, its size, stink, and rarity make it one of the most popular exhibitions at any botanical garden, including in New York state.

Where to Find the Corpse Flower in New York

Another factor that makes the corpse flower (Amorphophallus titanum) so special is how rarely it blooms. It can take up to ten years for a corpse flower plant to absorb enough energy to bloom, and when it does, the massive flower that emits the trademark smell only lasts for several days. Luckily, one destination in New York has an amazing example of the stinky plant.

Corpse Flower at the New York Botanical Garden

The New York Botanical Garden (NYBG) in New York City most recently had a corpse flower bloom in 2023. The unfortunate news is that after blooming, the flower needs multiple years to once again store energy for its next flowering cycle. A call to the NYBG revealed that none of their corpse flowers are expected to bloom in 2024. There are options is other states, however.

Corpse Flowers Across the Country

April seems to be the month of corpse flower blooms, and the United States Botanical Garden (USBG) just began to witness their plant opening its petals this week (the flower is estimated to last until April 28th). Unlike the NYBG, however, the USBG has cultivated enough corpse flowers for visitors to experience multiple blooms per year.

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While the corpse flower can only survive in New York under professional greenhouse supervision, there are other plants that grown naturally in the state that can be equally fascinating. For example, New York is home to four carnivorous plants that use various tactics to catch their prey (including getting them drunk). Check out the "horror" plant to avoid in New York below.