ST. LOUIS – A rare corpse flower is expected to bloom at the Missouri Botanical Garden next week.

This particular flower, named Millie, will bloom between June 9 and June 12, according to Emily Colletti, MoBOT horticulturist. The plant is a gift from the Greater Des Moines Botanical Garden. Millie’s sibling, Horace, recently bloomed at Como Park Zoo & Conservatory.

The corpse flower (Amorphophallus titanum) is a native of Sumatra, Indonesia, and derives its name by giving off a stink of rotting flesh. The stench and coloration attract pollinators like flies, according to the Garden.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature lists the corpse flower as “endangered in the wild.”

Titan arums do not have an annual blooming cycle. They only bloom when they have enough energy stored in a large underground stem called a corm. It also depends on conditions like temperature and humidity. The blooms are rare and can vary from a few years to more than a decade.

Millie is housed in the Garden’s Linnean House. Viewing the corpse flower is included with a standard admission, which is $16 for adults. Children 12 and under get in for free. Residents of St. Louis City and County are allowed $6 admission on most Wednesday and Saturday mornings until noon. MoBOT members receive free admission to the Garden.

This will be the 15th recorded corpse flower bloom at the Missouri Botanical Garden. Prior blooms occurred in 2023, 2021, 2019, 2016, 2014, and 2013.