Corpse Flower To Give Off Nearly 36 Hours Of 'Peak Stench' When It Blooms Monday At Botanical Garden

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The anticipated blooming of an exotic flower will have crowds at the New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx holding their noses.

CBS2's Steve Langford reported the corpse flower, a rare species from Sumatra that general blossoms only once a decade, and when it does, it gives off a killer aroma.

"The few ways I've heard the smell is described is rotting meat and a dead body," one girl said.

The flower is expected to bloom on Monday.

"The frill will start to fold down. You'll see the bright red interior and from that point it's about 24 to 36 hours of peak bloom and peak stench," Matthew Cook of the New York Botanical Garden said.

This is the first time since the 1930s the New York Botanical Garden has hosted this exotic species.

"I'm kind of wondering if it'll clear the room once it finally opens up," one person said.

The corpse flower was designated the official flower of the Bronx in 1939 and remained on the books until 2000, when it was replaced by the daylily.