NEW: Extremely rare 'corpse flower' to bloom at the zoo

CLEVELAND ? The Cleveland MetroParks Zoo is getting ready for an extremely rare event---one that will be a first for the zoo.

The Cleveland Metroparks Zoo is awaiting the extremely rare blooming of its 13-year-old titan arum plant, or the corpse flower as it is euphemistically known.

The plant is one of the largest flowering plants in the entire world.

The bloom will last just 24 hours and is expected to occur as early as Thursday, July 19th or as late as Sunday, July 22nd.

Once it blooms, the titan arum will stand taller than most people and will give off an extremely pungent odor that has been described as smelling like rotting meat?hence the nickname of the ?corpse flower.?

The blooming of the titan arum will be a first in the state of Ohio. The Cleveland MetroParks Zoo will then join an elite list of institutions in North America as the only ones to successful bring the titan arum to bloom.

Those wishing to see the magnificent plant and get a whiff of its unmistakable smell can do so at the Cleveland MetroParksRain Forest during normal hours.

Says, Don Krock the Zoo?s Manager of Horticulture, ?we?ve been babying this plant for 13 years, just waiting for it to bloom, so t his is significant for us. Just don?t put your nose too close. You would think a flower this beautiful should smell like roses, but it doesn?t. It definitely has an unpleasant odor.?

The Corpse Flower (Amorphophallus titanum ) is native to the rainforests of Sumatra and rarely flowers in the wild.

The few times it has bloomed in North American zoos and botanical gardens, it has attracted national medial attention and thousands of visitors.

The most recent blooming was reported last month at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte?s Botanical Gardens. Four thousand people turned out to see the flower.

To learn more, CLICK on the related links or call 216) 661-6500.