Como Zoo Conservatory corpse flower is blooming: Watch live

ST. PAUL, Minn. (FOX 9) - Frederick the corpse flower, a rare, stinky plant at the Como Zoo Conservatory, has started to bloom.

Corpse flower blooms

What we know:

After days of anticipation, the Como Park Zoo and Conservatory announced on Wednesday that its corpse flower, named Frederick, had finally started blooming.

The flower currently stands at 81 inches tall, which the zoo says is its tallest corpse flower ever.

Frederick the corpse flower (Como Park Zoo and Conservatory / Facebook)

Corpse flower facts

The backstory:

As a corpse flower blooms, it begins emitting the stench that it is known for, which the zoo says is often compared to rotting meat. As the flower blooms, it also heats up, and can reach 98 degrees.

Corpse flowers can take as many as 10 years to bloom for the first time. The flowers then typically bloom again every two to three years. Frederick turned 8 this year, the zoo says. Como's other corpse flower, Horace, bloomed last year at the age of 7.

Blooms only last about 24 to 48 hours, and the smell goes away even sooner.

Como Park Conservatory's 'Corpse Flower' is in bloom

Como Park Zoo & Conservatory's smelly "Corpse Flower" is starting to bloom. FOX 9 photojournalist Willow Bryn Locke captures the moment.

Take a sniff

What you can do:

If you want to expose yourself to the smell, you can visit the Como Zoo Conservatory's Palm Dome (1225 Estabrook Drive, St Paul, MN 55103). The dome is open for extended hours on Wednesday, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The zoo says visitors should expect a line and dress for the weather, with rain expected for much of Wednesday.