For the first time since 2007, a titan arum has bloomed at the U.S. Botanic Garden in Washington D.C. Also known as a "corpse flower" for the smell of rotting flesh that it emits, the massive blossom is expected to reach "peak smell" early this morning. Hooray for peak smell!(?)


Top image by Bill O'Leary via The Washington Post

The flower began blooming Sunday, following more than a week of anticipation from the public and Botanic Garden experts. According to the Washington Post, garden officials expect the flower to remain open for around 24 to 48 hours, at which point it will collapse on itself. The last corpse flower to bloom at the U.S. Botanic Garden was in 2007. As of this posting, the flower is looking pretty impressive. Have a gander at the live feed below:

[USBG | WaPo]