Corpse Flower Blooms at Ohio State

Ohio State University's titan arum plant, also known as a "corpse flower" due to its smell, bloomed today (May 15) at the school's Biological Sciences Greenhouse.

Ohio State University's titan arum "Woody" on May 14, 2013. Photo courtesy of Ohio State University

This was the second time the 72.5-inch plant, nicknamed Woody after Ohio State Buckeyes football coach Woody Hayes, had flowered since it first bloomed on April 23, 2011. If conditions are right, corpse flowers can bloom again in as quickly as two to five years. The school also has a second titan arum named Jesse which last flowered in 2012.

The university had been keeping a close eye on Woody over the past several days to announce the flower's opening to the school community. Special visiting hours are now in place at the greenhouse for those who want to see the bloom and experience the plant's rotting-flesh scent. Today, people can visit between the hours of 9 a.m. and 9 p.m.

- With files from Cleveland.com