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Vancouver’s rare ‘corpse flower’ blooms for the first time, get a whiff while you can

Click to play video: 'People line up to see rare smelly flower bloom'
People line up to see rare smelly flower bloom
WATCH: The "corpse" flower at Vancouver's Bloedel Conservatory has finally come into bloom. As Linda Aylesworth reports hundreds are lining up to catch a glimpse - and a whiff - of the smelly flower – Jul 16, 2018

Rotting meat, hot garbage, and dirty diapers.

They’re scents that most people wouldn’t be lining up to inhale.

But at the Bloedel Conservatory in Vancouver’s Queen Elizabeth Park — that’s exactly what’s happening.

A rare Indonesian “corpse flower” that has taken six years to bloom opened up on Sunday night, and with it comes a once-in-a-lifetime odour.

The news of its opening drew big crowds to catch a glimpse, and maybe a whiff, of the six-foot-tall wonder that locals have nicknamed Uncle Fester.

Officials say the stink will be at its putrid peak starting at 7 a.m. Monday, possibly lasting through Tuesday night before the flower collapses.

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WATCH: Timelapse shows ‘corpse flower’ growing

Because of their massive size, corpse flowers need a huge store of energy to bloom and go through years-long growth and dormancy stages.

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Once they’ve finally stored up the energy to produce a flower, things move quickly — up to six inches per day during peak period.

The final product is among the largest flowers in the world.

— With files from Simon Little

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