Michigan Braces for Stench of 'Corpse Flower'

The stench of death will soon hang heavy in Michigan and it's nothing to do with Detroit: The world's biggest and smelliest flower is expected to bloom at Michigan State University, giving off a stench that those who have smelled the "corpse flower" liken to rotting flesh or smelly socks, reports USA Today. Hundreds are expected to visit for a look at the rare flower, which has only bloomed once since 1995. "It's projected to bloom in the next week, and it will last only 24 to 48 hours," a university biologist tells MSU Today. "In any given decade, only a handful of corpse flowers bloom outside of their native habitat of Indonesia," where the stench attracts the carrion flies and beetles that act as pollinators. (More corpse flower stories.)