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Gay Pride in NYC may be winding down, but over at the New York Botanical Garden, the party is just getting started. We're here to report that the gayest flower in the five boroughs is about to unfurl. Meet the corpse flower, a tall, rare species known for releasing the smell of rotting meat when it blooms, just for you!
This is one rare, sexy species. Known as Amorphophallus Titanum (I love a flower with phallus in its name!), our darling corpse hails from Indonesia. Growing to heights of up to 20 feet, she's one of the tallest girls in the garden (there's that phallus again!), and she's hot, reaching human temperature when she opens up in an attempt to attract flesh-eating insects. And though she first bloomed in the Western Hemisphere in 1937, don't accuse her of having antiquated gender politics! Ms. bunga bankai carries both male and female flowers in her spadix.
On June 1, NYBG horticulturists noticed that our girl was getting ready to show her true pride colors (she loves a deep green and burgundy), and moved her to the Enid A. Haupt Conservatory. She's on view to the public for view at the Gardens and via live stream. The bloom is expected to occur in the next two weeks, with a special viewing Monday from 10am–6pm. What a tease!
And when her tumescent self does come out, you better gag. In order to attract sexy, carrion-eating beetles and flesh flies, she unleashes odors which scientists at Cornell and Bytesize Science have likened to sweaty socks, limburger cheese, rotting fish and feces! Could you just die?
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