Sure, it isn’t as dramatic (or smelly) as the corpse flower, but it’s still impressive!
The Voodoo Lily at the Denver Botanic Gardens opened at around 3 p.m. on Sunday – and this pretty sight will only last for the next 48 hours.
Late last year, the corpse flower drew lines that were hours long, as wannabe botanists flocked to the gardens to bask in a once-every-decade scent.
The Voodoo Lily is smaller, with a plant height, bloom size/shape and smell that is far less dramatic than the corpse flower.
"It does smell a bit in Greenhouse One, the greenhouse that it's in, and it's a lot stronger the closer you get to it," Horticulturist Nicholas Giaquinto said. "But outside in the Orangery, where you can see it on display to the public, there is no smell for me and probably little to no smell to the general people."
It is a relative of the corpse flower though – and can reach up to five feet tall. Its scientific name is "amorphallus konjac."
"They are actually grown in Asia for their edible tubers and in Japan they usually use it to create noodles," Gianquinto said.
It's an uncommon plant, but many still grow them in their homes.
You can see the VooDoo Lily at the Denver Botanic Gardens in the Orangery, just outside Marnie’s Pavilion. Giaquinto said he doesn't expect it to be in bloom for much longer. He said Wednesday at the latest.
Unlike with the corpse flower, there will not be extended hours: the Botanic Gardens will close at its normal 5 p.m. time.
