Travelers Head To New York City For A Floral Phenomenon That's As Stinky As It Is Stunning

New York City has no shortage of things to do. While locals and visitors alike can visit popular Big Apple destinations like world-famous museums, some might seek out more obscure activities. While visiting a botanical garden on vacation does not sound obscure, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden has an unusual flower that catches tourists' eyes — and noses.

Among the tens of thousands of plant species at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is the Amorphophallus gigas, a massive plant that looks like a lily, but with a strange, conical tube that shoots up from the middle. The flower is especially hard to miss because it is over 5 feet tall. Unique appearance aside, its horrible smell is, ironically, what attracts tourists. When the smaller versions of the same flower species reach maturity inside the tube, it creates a smell that many liken to rotten food or even rotting flesh. This is why people refer to it as the "corpse flower" or "carcass flower." This bloom period where you can see the full flower head — called an inflorescence — lasts just a few days before the tube deflates at the top and droops downward.

Perhaps what makes people want to see (and smell) the corpse flower is that it blooms rather infrequently, and therefore emits the rotting scent infrequently too. Usually, blooming periods occur once every decade, if not longer. The Brooklyn Botanic Garden's website explained that January 2025 marked the garden's first corpse flower bloom since it arrived from Malaysia in 2018. Garden staff nicknamed the flower "Smelliot." While the bloom only lasted a couple of days, from January 24 to 26, you'll have another chance to catch this rare event in a few years — though no one can predict exactly when.

While the windows of time to get the full "Smelliot" experience are few and far between, this unique flower is still quite a sight even if it is not unfurling to release its infamous odor. There are also only 10 botanic gardens with one of these rarities worldwide. Stick around at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden for plenty of other amazing plants too. You can see cherry blossoms, multiple species of roses that have been at the garden for almost 100 years, and conservatories with everything from bonsai trees to cacti. As you take in all that New York City has to offer, let the Brooklyn Botanic Garden be a unique and relaxing break in a hectic Big Apple itinerary.