Rare Corpse Flower ‘Elenore’ About to Bloom in Southeast Texas

ORANGE, Texas - Have you ever heard of a corpse flower? It's a very rare and famously stinky flower, and one is about to put on a show just across the Louisiana border, and people are already lining up to see, and...smell it.

The corpse flower known as Elenore is expected to bloom any day now at Shangri La Botanical Gardens in Orange, Texas. And if you’ve never experienced a corpse flower bloom before, this is one of those weird bucket-list moments you won’t forget.

There's also a live stream where you can be on "Bloom Watch" if you can't make the trip to Orange, Texas.

Why Everyone Is Talking About This Corpse Flower

Corpse flowers are famous for producing one of the worst smells in nature. When they bloom, they release an odor often compared to rotting meat or a dead animal on the side of the road.

Sounds pleasant, right?

That awful smell actually serves a purpose. The flower uses the scent to attract carrion flies and beetles, which help pollinate the plant. Unlike most flowers that attract bees and butterflies, this plant basically says, “Come check out this fake dead thing.”

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Being a huge fan of "Little Shop of Horrors", seeing a corpse flower bloom is the closest I'll ever get to seeing a real life "Audrey II".

Elenore, the five-foot-tall corpse flower now stealing the spotlight in Orange, Texas, has become a local celebrity while people wait for the bloom to finally happen.

According to staff at Shangri La Gardens, the plant has been teasing its bloom for days and is apparently operating on diva time according to KLPC.

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What Makes The Corpse Flower So Rare?

The corpse flower, officially called Amorphophallus titanum, is one of the rarest flowering plants on Earth. Experts estimate there are fewer than 2,000 left growing in the wild.

A corpse flower blooms only once every several years, usually only once every 10 years, and when it finally opens, the event usually lasts just 24 to 48 hours.

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The Story Behind Elenore The Corpse Flower

Elenore’s story is actually pretty incredible.

The plant is reportedly the offspring of another corpse flower named Lenore that Shangri La Gardens acquired back in 2011. Lenore was lost during Hurricane Harvey flooding, but not before producing several offspring plants, including Elenore according to KPLC.com.

For the last 13 years, Elenore has quietly grown one massive leaf, and after more than a decade of waiting, the she is finally ready for her big moment.

Can You See The Corpse Flower In Person?

You can currently see Elenore, free of charge, inside the Classroom Greenhouse at Shangri La Botanical Gardens in Orange, Texas. Garden officials have even extended viewing hours because of the excitement.

If you can’t make the drive, Shangri La is also offering a livestream so people can watch the bloom unfold online.

Read more at KPLCTV.com.