Rare Corpse Flower Bloom Returns to Mitchell Park Domes
“Penelope” Prepares for a Second Bloom, Anticipated Week of June 22
One of the plant kingdom’s rarest and most dramatic events is about to unfold in Milwaukee’s beloved Domes, and it lasts only a few days.
Milwaukee, Wis., June 17, 2026—One of the rarest spectacles in the plant kingdom is about to unfold in the heart of Milwaukee. Penelope, a corpse flower (Amorphophallus titanum) growing at the Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory, is preparing to bloom—and horticulturists anticipate she could open as early as the week of June 22. Known for its towering size and its powerful odor, corpse flowers bloom every 7-10 years and stay open for only 24-48 hours, making each bloom a fleeting, can’t-miss event.
A Rare Bloom, Years in the Making
Native to the rainforests of Sumatra and endangered in the wild, the corpse flower produces the largest unbranched flowering structure in the plant kingdom. In nature, a plant can take years to store enough energy to bloom, and the timing is famously hard to predict. Penelope last bloomed in June 2024, making her return this soon a welcome surprise—and a rare chance for Milwaukeeans to witness the phenomenon twice in a short span. The Mitchell Park Domes are among a small number of conservatories to have brought corpse flowers to repeated blooms, with several openings since 2018.
An Unforgettable (and Unmistakable) Experience
As the bloom opens, the flower’s central spadix heats itself to between 90 and 98 degrees, releasing the unmistakable scent—often likened to rotting flesh—that gives the corpse flower its name and draws pollinators such as carrion flies and beetles in the wild. The scent is most powerful in the first hours after the bloom opens, often overnight, and fades well before the flower itself closes—so what visitors notice depends on when they arrive. The result is equal parts living science exhibit and natural wonder, and it reliably draws a crowd: in past years, corpse flower blooms have brought thousands of visitors through the Domes in just a few days.
“There’s nothing else like it in Milwaukee,” said Christa Beall Diefenbach, CEO, Milwaukee Domes Alliance. “A corpse flower bloom turns the Domes into a gathering place—families, students, longtime members, and first-time visitors all together to see a near once-in-a-lifetime experience. That sense of shared wonder is exactly what the Domes are about.”
“To be able to care for our collection of corpse flowers is an honor as a horticulturist, and it’s especially inspiring when we get to share our work with visitors who are just as intrigued and excited to watch the bloom as we are,” said Amanda Garchow, horticulturist for the Tropical Collection at the Mitchell Park Domes.
Plan Your Visit
The corpse flower is on view in the Tropical Dome at the Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory, 524 S. Layton Blvd., Milwaukee, Milwaukee’s only indoor botanical garden and a beloved fixture of the city skyline. Because a bloom can open at any hour and fades quickly, the Domes will try to extend hours while Penelope is open, with possible evening and early-morning access announced in real time as availability allows. General admission is available at the door; there are no online ticket sales. Becoming a member is a great way to make the most of the bloom: members get in free and can return as often as they like while Penelope is open—a real advantage when the scent and the spectacle peak at different times. Join in advance at www.MilwaukeeDomes.org/membership.
Learn more about the corpse flower and Penelope at www.MilwaukeeDomes.org/StinkyBloom and follow the Domes’ social media channels for real-time bloom updates. Because neither the timing of the bloom nor any extended hours can be guaranteed, visitors are encouraged to check before planning a visit.
Getting Here
Due to nearby road construction, the 27th Street Bridge and the 26th Street exit from I-94 are currently closed. Visitors should use GPS for the most reliable route; current directions are posted at www.MilwaukeeDomes.org.
About Milwaukee Domes Alliance
As the operating partner of the Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory, the Milwaukee Domes Alliance helps cultivate a lifelong love of nature for all visitors through coordinating immersive, restorative experiences within the iconic horticultural oasis. Our mission is to inspire meaningful connections to nature and community. We provide educational and membership programming, retail services, funds for facility enhancements, and volunteer recruitment and management in support of the Mitchell Park Horticultural Conservatory, and have done so since the 1980s. Revenues to support this mission come from fundraising, membership dues, and retail sales.
NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.
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