I was in the Conservatory of Dow Gardens on Friday for volunteer training and snapped a couple of orchid photos.

Look at this fabulous voodoo lily! It’s in the Conservatory, which (sorry) is closed right now in preparation for Butterflies in Bloom but will reopen to the public on March 6. I’m told it bloomed Monday and stunk up the place into the adjacent lobby, and that the scent is why the previous owners offered it to the gardens; most plant gifts are declined but this one was too interesting to pass up and it was settled in a month ago.

I blew out the brightness on this so you can see the texture. The flowers only last a few days and voodoo lilies only bloom once a year, so I might not see it again. If I’d realized how fleeting they are, I’d have stuck around for better shots. C’est la vie.