Special Stench: Corpse Flowers Blooming At U.S. Botanic Garden

BALTIMORE (WJZ)-- Gym socks, dirty diapers, or rotting flesh? However you describe it, a special kind of stench is looming over Washington.

Three "corpse flowers" are now blooming at the U.S. Botanic Garden, which is drawing in brave visitors from all over the country.

The gardens have three times the smell in bloom this week and people are lining up to take a whiff.

With this flower, you might not want to stick around too long.

"Digusting," one person said.

"I'm 6-feet tall, and the one right there is taller than me," one woman said.

A rarity, they only bloom every five to twelve years and for the first time in North America, crowds can experience three stinking up the place at one time.

"These plants are really cool to look at, they're beautiful. they're really stinky. They only last a couple of days at most," said acting executive director Susan Pell.

And when they're fully open, they smell the worst. Lucky for visitors, the stench was recreated.

"Don't stick your nose right over it, trust me," Pell said.

"It definitely smells like rotten feet," one person said.

"It smells like garbage," another said.

It's not a scent most would like to take home.

"We actually had a woman last night almost gag when she smelled it," Pell said.

For the rare flower nicknamed the "Panda of the Plant World," it's a pungent experience in more ways than one.

One flower is growing about six inches a day and if your nose is up to the challenge, the Botanic Garden expect it might fully bloom as early as this weekend.

You can watch a live stream of the flowers and get updates on the Botanic Garden website.

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