Houston Museum of Natural Science corpse flower Meg blooms for first time: How to see it
Meg the corpse flower (Photo: Houston Museum of Natural Science)
HOUSTON - A rare bloom is happening right now at the Houston Museum of Natural Science's Cockrell Butterfly Center.
Late Tuesday night, a corpse flower named Meg started to bloom for the first time.
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"Meg is actually a very young plant for a corpse flower, so this is actually her first bloom. So that's why we're super excited," says Lauren Davidson, Cockrell Butterfly Center manager. "Corpse flowers only bloom every few years. Every other year, they go into a leaf stage, so they shoot one leaf up, get energy from that leaf through photosynthesis, store that energy and eventually when they get enough they finally bloom. So it takes a long time."
Once open, the flower doesn't last long. The museum says Meg will be on exhibit until the bloom shrivels, which could happen anytime between Wednesday night and the weekend.
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Visitors who want to witness the fleeting event, will also notice the stench. The museum describes the smell as "like a dead animal."
To experience the captivating sight and unique scent of Meg, you can visit the Museum of Natural Science. You must buy a ticket to the Cockrell Butterfly Center.
The museum is also sharing videos and livestreams on their YouTube channel. Get more updates on Meg on the museum’s Facebook page.