SAN ANTONIO – Update — The corpse flower bloom was not fully successful, as a result, the live stream has been taken down.
The San Antonio Zoo provided the following update on social media on July 18:
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Over the weekend, we reported smells coming from the plant, possibly indicating an impending or partial bloom occurrence. Unfortunately, this afternoon we observed a sagging of the spadix. This is a sign that the flower bloom was not fully successful - however, the plant remains alive and can bloom again in the coming decade.
La Llorona will remain on display for the next few days, and the live stream will remain active. The process of decomposition of the flower is part of the natural life cycle of the plant, and we will take this opportunity to educate our guests to understand and appreciate the entire process.
San Antonio Zoo remains committed to helping save this plant species from extinction and growing this conservation program in the coming years with the addition of more plants.
”While we noticed the plant’s flaccid spadix today prior to a full bloom, we remain encouraged about our corpse flower conservation program, which began just a few months ago at San Antonio Zoo,” said Tim Morrow, President & CEO of San Antonio Zoo. “Beyond a life cycle lesson, this experience can also serve as general life lesson that even though you may not succeed on your first attempt, it doesn’t mean you are a failure - you can still bloom in the future! Special thanks to our Conservation & Research team, Horticulture, Maintenance, Guest Experiences, Education, Docents, and all the Zoo Crew that made this opportunity available to our guests.”
Watch the corpse flower cam at San Antonio Zoo. The beautiful but stinky flower is expected to bloom sometime in the next week.
“Get your nostrils ready,” said Tim Morrow, President and CEO of San Antonio Zoo.
The live stream will be available 24/7 until the corpse flower blooms and will be live for an additional 1-4 days, or as long as the bloom lasts.
You can watch the live stream in the video player above or, if you’re lucky enough to live in Texas, you can visit the corpse flower in person at San Antonio Zoo.
Viewing of the corpse flower is free for zoo members and included with standard admission to San Antonio Zoo. The flower is located near the “Back From The Brink” Whooping Crane habitat.
Corpse flowers can grow to be up to eight feet tall and the plants generate their own heat.
The scent of a corpse flower bloom is very powerful and said to be reminiscent of a decaying corpse, which is where the name comes from.
Zoo officials estimate this to be the first known instance of a corpse flower blooming in San Antonio.