Carolus opening tonight

Carolus this afternoon, just minutes before starting to open.
Carolus this afternoon, just minutes before starting to open.

A little before 4 p.m. this afternoon, Carolus started showing signs that tonight might be the night. Now, we’re confident that it is.

We’re anxiously watching to see whether or not it will bloom with the same vigor that our Titan arums have bloomed inside the controlled confines of the Conservatory and Kenneth Post Lab Greenhouses during previous flowerings. Or have the chilly Ithaca temperatures (compared to Sumatra) taken its toll on Carolus’s energy reserves. Time will tell whether or not the spathe will unfurl fully and how the stench will compare with earlier flowerings.

We’re also anxious to see what carrion-loving pollinators will be attracted by Carolus’s odor.

Stop by Minns Garden to join the fun. Map.

Parking on campus is restricted most weekdays during the day. But most lots near Minns Garden are unrestricted after 5 p.m. Please observe parking regulation signs.

During the day, the nearest public metered lot is the Peterson Lot at the corner of Tower Road and Judd Falls Road, across from Stocking Hall and the Cornell Dairy Bar.

Carolus less than an hour later, with the spathe pulling back from the spadix.
Carolus less than an hour later, with the spathe pulling back from the spadix.