It’s a rare sight (and smell) indeed at the Chicago Botanic Garden, as an infamous “Corpse Flower” has begun to bloom. Officials at the Botanic Garden made the announcement on Monday, as one of the garden’s “Titan Arum” flowers began blooming Monday morning.

Commonly called the “corpse flower,” Amorphophallus titanum is endangered for many reasons, including habitat destruction, climate change and encroachment from invasive species. Now, plant biologists from Northwestern University and the Chicago Botanic ...