Native to subtropical and tropical regions of Asia, konjac is actually cultivated for food—its underground tuber is high in starch and fiber and is processed into konjac flour used to make shirataki noodles.
If you missed the stench, don’t worry. Two more plants are on the way! Simon is still about a week away from blooming, and Theodore could take even longer.
Corpse flower cousin update! 👇
One of our three Amorphophallus konjac plants, currently on display in the Conservatory, is nearing the end of its bloom cycle. Alvin opened up over the weekend, and is still smelling faintly.
Bloom alert! 💜 Crocuses are blooming all around BBG.
After a long stretch of bitterly cold weather in NYC, bees are buzzing around these welcome signs of spring. Find these blooms near Oak Circle, Daffodil Hill, the Rock Garden, and elsewhere.
Schomburgkia undulata orchid flowers. Looking like a sea creature, thin white stems form a spherical cluster of frilly magenta and burgundy colored flowers (I am not an orchid person, so I’m sure this terminology is all wrong!) -photo taken at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden Conservatory
had a dazzling encounter with an orchid yesterday…🌱
#flowers #orchids #BrooklynBotanicGarden #BBG #gardens #BloomScrolling #FlowerPhotography #Brooklyn #wondrous 🌿
Quite the contrary!
Each bloom will only last for a couple days. Two of the plants have yet to bloom, so stay tuned for updates on those.
Plan your visit at our link in bio. BBG is currently open Tuesday–Sunday from 10 a.m.–6 p.m., last entry 5:30 p.m. Specialty gardens begin to close 30 minutes before close.
BBG currently has three of these plants on display (Alvin, Simon, and Theodore). One opened up last night and is currently stinking! BBG gardener Chris Sprindis describes the smell as “distinctly dead mammal, with an undertone of musty basement.”
A corpse flower cousin is blooming in BBG’s Conservatory! 🚨
Amorphophallus konjac (devil’s tongue) is a relative of “corpse flowers” Amorphophallus titanum (Titan arum) and Amorphophallus gigas.
All three are growing fast, but the exact bloom time is hard to predict. We’ll keep you updated. Each bloom will only last for a couple days and then a single palm-like leaf will emerge in a few months.
Plan your visit. 👇
Though konjac won’t reach the size or intensity of aroma as those corpse flowers, it does produce a foul-scented inflorescence (flower head). BBG currently has three of these plants on display, dubbed Alvin, Simon, and Theodore by BBG gardener Patrick Austin.
A corpse flower cousin will soon bloom in BBG’s Conservatory! 👀
Amorphophallus konjac (devil's tongue) is native to south central China. It’s a relative of “corpse flowers” Amorphophallus titanum (Titan arum) and Amorphophallus gigas (an example being our dear Smelliot, which bloomed last winter).
The 2026 Greenest Block in Brooklyn contest is OPEN! 🪴
The Greenest Block in Brooklyn contest encourages neighbors to green up their front yards, stoops, and sidewalks together.
We’re celebrating its 30th year in 2026 and want you to be part of it. 👇
BBG is closed on Tuesday, February 24, for storm cleanup, but will reopen Wednesday, February 25. ☃️
Weekday admission at BBG is pay-what-you-wish through February. Please note that some specialty gardens and side paths at BBG will remain closed until they can safely be opened.
BBG’s annual spring conference Making Brooklyn Bloom is coming soon! 👨🏾🌾
Mark your calendars for Saturday, March 14.
This year’s conference theme, “Hello Brooklyn! Neighbors in Nature,” highlights BBG’s community greening programs.
More info. 👇
This midwinter break, families can enjoy a special indoor edition of Discovery Programs in BBG’s Steinhardt Conservatory. 🏜️
More info. 👇
During your next visit, try to spot one of these unusual fruits in the Tropical Pavilion. No snacking, please!
More info on these plants at our link in bio. 👇
A deep yellow star fruit on a brown branch below a green star fruit on the same branch within a tropical indoor conservatory space.
⭐️ Star fruit
Star fruit is also currently bearing fruit in the Tropical Pavilion, just in time for Lunar New Year. The small, evergreen tree is a member of the Oxalidaceae family, and has been cultivated in tropical Southeast Asia for centuries, though it is now extinct in the wild.
One long vanilla pod hangs from a green stalk surrounded by a verdant array of green leaves and branches.
🍨 Vanilla
The source of the world’s favorite ice cream flavor is a vining orchid fruiting this winter at BBG. When cultivated outside of its pollinators’ native range, the flowers of vanilla (each of which blooms for one day only) must be pollinated by hand to bear fruit.
A rich red berry sits vertically on a branch surrounded by thin green leaves.
🪄 Miracle fruit
This evergreen shrub has a remarkable ability: Its small, red berries make sour food taste sweet. Native to the tropical regions of West Africa, it’s been used for centuries to make foods and drinks more palatable.
As snow blankets BBG’s outdoor collections, a world of wonder flourishes in the Tropical Pavilion at BBG. 🍊
🧵👇
A red Torrii gate in the middle of a frozen pond seen through a stone path in a wintry garden scene.
A path curves through a grove of trees with snow all over the ground, seen through a green canopy, with the camera pointing towards the sun.
Two lines of parallel trees in winter. Beneath them, a path flanked with benches covered in snow, alongside fields covered in snow.
Just a few more snow photos for your feed. ⛄️
Weekday admission at BBG is pay-what-you-wish through February.
Photos by Jeremy Weine.
Please note this event is 18+. Presented in partnership with
I AM caribBEING.
Tickets on sale now. 👇
A DJ with two laptops in an indoor area.
A group of people dancing indoors, one holding a phone, others holding bags, and one holding a small Jamaican flag.
A group of three people standing inside a dense green tropical indoor conservatory space.
Brooklyn might be covered in snow right now, but you can look forward to tropical plants and island flavor at the Little Caribbean Winter Garden Fête, coming this February. 🍹🌴
Pull up February 26 for good vibes, cocktails, and self-guided tours as we celebrate Caribbean culture, music, and plants.
Snowy scenes at BBG after the winter storm. 🌨️
We will reopen tomorrow, Wednesday, January 28.
Please note that some specialty gardens and side paths at BBG will remain closed until they can safely be opened. Make sure to check our website before you visit for updates.
Just installed! A special floral installation in BBG’s conservatory. 💐
Created by BBG gardener Kate Murphy, these organic floating sculptures bring what bloomed last year indoors while the garden sleeps for the winter.
Across the exhibition, visitors are asked: What do you notice about the trees around you? What might it mean to know them? Could you call them kin?
Included with Garden admission. Up through March 15. More info. 👇
A photo of an indoor room with white walls and a brick floor. It's a gallery space with framed pieces off art on the walls, and two front panels with introductory text.
A scan of a piece of art, featuring a generally organic looking structure of vertical lines paired with small dots and flowing horizontal cloud-like shapes that are yellow and light blue.
Check out a mixed-media art exhibit in BBG’s Conservatory Gallery. 🖼️
“Notice/Know/Kin” is artist and BBG Community Greening Program Manager Nina Browne’s invitation to move beyond “plant blindness” toward deeper relationship.
A white flower with tiny yellowy center with five oval white petals in front of a diffuse leafy background.
Frangipani plant 👃
The genus Plumeria is known for its alluring and fragrant flowers, each with five petal lobes.
