The Corpse Flower (Amorphophallus titanum) displayed at the Lawn and Garden Show has since been affectionately named 'Audrey'.

As of 4:30 pm yesterday the plant was 53 inches high and 27.5 inches around. Yesterday it didn't grow so Bill Roston who has been tending to the plant, thinks it might be in the process of starting to open.

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Friends of the Garden has expanded viewing hours from 8:00 am - 6:00 pm, stop by to see this rare phenomena, and tell you friends. Don't worry, the plant does not smell until it's in bloom.

To follow the progress of the plant, check Friends of the Garden Calendar and Blog.

Directions: For a map with a marker directly over the exact building where the plant is being displayed, look here.

To learn more about the plant from National Geographic, look here.

You canÂt control nature, says William Roston, the Friends of the Garden member who has been "babysitting" Audrey, the rareÂand stinkyÂcorpse plant that has bloomed in the U.S. approximantly 40 times since 1939. But there are indications that Audrey could bloom this weekend, Saturday-Sunday, March 6-7, so visiting hours have been extended from 8:00 am to 6:00 pm at the community meeting room at Nathanael Greene/Close Memorial Park, located at 2400 South Scenic Avenue across from Horton Smith Golf Course.

"There is no way to know for sure when Audrey will bloom," said Friends of the Garden president George Deatz, "but we are attempting to keep the public notified because the corpse plantÂs bloom only lasts from 24 to 48 hours." That latest update can always be found at www.friendsofthegarden.org.

Named "Audrey" after the voracious and fast-growing plant in the 1960 rock musical, "The Little Shop of Horrors," Amorphophallus titanum grows in the wild only on the island of Sumatra and blooms every six to ten years. Titanum is known for its erratic, lush growth and the putrid fragrance of its blossoming flower that, Roston says, "smells like a dead rat and could make a fly vomit."

Roston, an osteopath who practices in Forsyth and serves as primary garden designer for the Friends of the Garden, brought the 35-pound tuber to Springfield in November 2009. ItÂs been dormant until about six or seven weeks ago when it started growing. . .and growing. For the past few days, heÂs been "babysitting BillÂs baby" at the park, noting its growth and answering visitors questions about what-he-calls "the plant from Mars."

"Certainly itÂs the superstar of the plant kingdom. Everything about it is dynamite," said Roston. Added Deatz, "this is quite an event for Springfield. ItÂs a rare blooming flower with few on display in the U.S."

About the Friends of the Garden: The volunteer organization has been active since 1998 in pursuing funding and encouraging interest in building the 12,700-square-foot Botanical Center now under construction in the 114-acre Nathanael Greene/Close Memorial Park, 2400 South Scenic Avenue. The facility is expected to be completed in September 2010. Tax-deductible annual memberships and contributions to the Friends of the Garden Growth and Maintenance Fund can be made to the Community Foundation of the Ozarks or sent to the group at P.O. Box 8566, Springfield MO 65801. The web site is www.friendsofthegarden.org.

Here is a link that might be useful: Southwest Missouri Garden Calendar