GVSU corpse flower is blooming; public invited to experience unique plant

Update on Oct. 15:

The corpse flower is in full bloom and hours at the Barbara Kindschi Greenhouse are expanded for visitors.

The greenhouse will be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15 and Friday, Oct. 16. It will also be open from 10 a.m.,to 4 p.m. on Oct. 17 and Oct. 18. GVSU has a home football game against Ferris State on Oct. 17; free parking wlll be available in Lot H.

Grand Valley's corpse flower is getting ready to bloom again and emit its rotting-flesh odor, continuing a blooming timetable that is significantly more prolific than expected.

The Amorphophallus titanum in the Barbara Kindschi Greenhouse last bloomed in 2024, when it was on loan at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park for visitors , as it was during a quiet time on campus when staffing was low. The plant first bloomed in 2022, when Grand Valley welcomed about 3,500 visitors to the greenhouse.

Starting Oct. 12, Grand Valley will welcome the public once again at the greenhouse on the Valley Campus in Allendale to view the rare tropical plant lovingly nicknamed "The Beast." While it is not expected to be in peak bloom – and odor – until later in the week, when the peak appears imminent, visiting hours will expand.

The plant, which is native to Sumatra, smells like rotting flesh to attract the flies that pollinate the plant. It is one of the largest plants in the world and the peak bloom is fleeting, usually lasting only 24-36 hours, said Christina Hipshier, greenhouse supervisor.

For a plant teeming with unique characteristics, the corpse flower at GVSU has added another one with its blooming schedule. After its initial bloom in 2022 – it was donated to Grand Valley in 2015 by Tim Strickler, professor emeritus of biomedical sciences – it wasn't expected to bloom for another seven to 10 years.

The 2024 bloom seemed a botanical aberration. With this newest expected bloom, Hipshier is "assuming now this is an established pattern."

She said the plant grows in the greenhouse's tropical room, with a general temperature of around 70 degrees and a humidity level of around 70 percent, with regular misting.

But for a plant so spectacular, it doesn't need special attention, aside from ensuring it isn't overwatered during its dormant period, Hipshier said. She also sets the plant in a woolen bag to better wick moisture.

"Whatever she's doing, it just loves it," said Strickler, who referred to Hipshier as the "whisperer" for the corpse flower he donated to GVSU in 2015.

Strickler has a fascination for the plant, which he said he bought from Plant Delights Nursery at Juniper Level Botanic Garden in North Carolina. "The Beast's" first introduction to West Michigan was in Strickler's yard before he dug it up and donated it to GVSU as he always intended.

He actually wondered at the time if he would live long enough to see it bloom, as the plant can sometimes take around 20 years to produce the first flower. So he is pleased and amazed by the prolific blooming.

Oh, and about that nickname for the plant, "The Beast": It is a tribute to Strickler, whose nickname as a teen and young adult was "The Beast."

"I don't know why. I'm certainly not a beast," Strickler said.

How to see GVSU's corpse flower on the Valley Campus in Allendale:

• Starting Oct. 12, the Barbara Kindschi Greenhouse in the Kindschi Hall of Science will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. for visitors.
• When the bloom is imminent, the greenhouse will be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
• For fastest updates on expanded hours for peak bloom, check @gvsu and @barbarakindschigreenhousegvsu on Instagram.
• Visitors may obtain a free day parking permit at GVSU's Parking Services office near the Lake Michigan Drive entrance. They can also utilize pay-to-park options .