Colorado Braces For a Terribly Smelly & Rare ‘Corpse Flower’ to Bloom

A rare corpse flower in Colorado has been dormant for seven years and is about to stink up CSU's Plant Growth Facilities Conservatory. Are you brave enough to seek it out?

It's one of the rarest flowers on Earth, while also being one of the smelliest items on the planet: a corpse flower; so named because of the awful odor it puts out when it comes into full bloom.

The corpse flower, officially the Amorphophallus titanum, releases the foul odor to lure in pollinators. While it may get pollinators, it definitely makes a human want to back far away. It's almost a "double dog dare you" thing - testing your own resolve to endure it.

The flower is so rare, they believe that there are only 1,000 in existence; having one at Colorado State University is a great opportunity for Northern Colorado residents to check it out.

This Corpse Flower in Colorado Has a Fun Name

It's nice that while the plant is known for being "just awful smelling," CSU's has a great name: "Cosmo." How can you hate on a flower that's named Cosmo? Maybe they named it after the character on Seinfeld?

Get our free mobile app

When Will CSU's Corpse Flower Officially Bloom and Start Smelling?

According to CSU, Cosmo should be in full bloom by Memorial Day Weekend, around May 25, 2024. When you think of summer, you think of the great smell of cut grass; now you can also think of a corpse flower on the CSU campus.

RELATED: Where to See Cherry Blossoms in Colorado

How the Public Can Visit Cosmo the Corpse Flower

If you should dare to get as close as you can to the corpse flower, you'll be able to every day that it's still in bloom between the hours of 9 a.m. and 3 p.m.

Cosmo's Location:

• The Plant Growth Facility Conservatory at 1241 Libbie Coy Way, Fort Collins.

They even have a live stream of Cosmo, which is all the better - you won't have to smell it.