UCSC corpse flower set to bloom just in time for Halloween — and it stinks

UCSC corpse flower set to bloom just in time for Halloween — and it stinks

A corpse flower at UC Santa Cruz is getting ready to bloom for only the second time since it arrived in 2012, and it could open right around Halloween. The bloom is short-lived and smells terrible, and it could pull in big crowds again. In 2022, thousands of people came to see (and smell) it.

Corpse flower blooms at GV for the first time since 2024

Grand Valley State University’s corpse flower attracted crowds to the Barbara Kindschi Greenhouse for its third bloom since 2022, giving students and community members another opportunity to see the rare plant known for its smell of rotting flesh.  The plant, affectionately nicknamed “Beast” by greenhouse staff, first bloomed in spring 2022, again in summer 2024 and most recently this fall 2026. The repeated blooms have surprised staff, who init…