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    Hot Horticulturists

    Getting to know corpse flower hunk Zac Stayton

    Rachel Hanley
    Jul 15, 2010 | 4:35 pm
    • Horticulturist Zac Stayton measures Lois early in the process.
    • Sorry ladies, he's taken
    • One of the more colorful, beautiful blooms

    Zac Stayton is a tall, blonde-haired, blue-eyed, 26-year-old guy who's become a local celeb as ... a horticulturist. OK, a horticulturist hunk.

    This would normally be surprising, but with corpse flower fever taking over Houston, normal is so June 2010. Lois (the flower’s handle) has drawn a 24/7 stream of admirers to the Houston Museum of Natural Science, and Zac’s the man with the answers.

    A graduate of Sam Houston State University with a degree in Horticulture, Zac’s been working at the museum for just six months. He tells CultureMap, "When I discovered I could make a living with my hands in the dirt, I couldn’t pass it up."

    Zac calls himself an “amateur photographer” and loves hiking and the outdoors. He’s the kind of guy you want taking care of Houston’s rarest flower.

    Concerning Lois, he explains that corpse flowers are “all a little different in their coloring.” Early on, botanists advised him to look for a line of purple around the flower’s petal fold as a sign of its opening. HMNS's flower of death has had that for days leading Zac to believe it would open sooner than it has.

    As Zac researched, he found that some corpse flowers have more color than others (aka some are ugly, some are pretty) and Lois’ bud is comparable to the more beautiful blooms (such as the one pictured on the right). This means when she finally opens up, she’s going to be gorgeous. This is obviously not any ordinary bloom.

    HMNS first tweeted that Lois was in the "very early stages" of bloom on Tuesday and has maintained the stance that the flower is blooming, even if the opening that everyone is awaiting for hasn't happened.

    The horticulturist is done with setting timetables. Lois only follows her own pace.

    In the meantime, he’s getting the “word out” about the flower and jumping into the conversation that’s taken the Internet by storm.

    If you're a Twitter user in Houston, mentions of #corpseflower and Zac are impossible to miss. Zac heard that tons of things were being tweeted about him (some good, a lot flirtatious), so Wednesday night, he set up his first Twitter account. He’s hortzac and the first Twitter account Zac chose to follow, even before HMNS, was none other than the mysterious CorpzFlowrLois — the chief flirt offender.

    According to the flower’s tweets, she’s expecting a proposal from Zac. CorpzFlowrLois and the rest of Houston’s single female population should take note — Stayton already has a girlfriend.

    If you can’t get to the museum and you still want to see Zac (and maybe that fussed-over flower too), you can always check out on HMNS's webcam. Zac is almost always in front of the flower from 9-10 a.m., taking his daily measurements.

    One of the ... blander corpse flower blooms. Stayton is sure Lois is going to be better than this:


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    Hot Headlines

    Houston's shuttered kosher steakhouse takes a new path in our top stories

    CultureMap Staff
    May 10, 2025 | 11:01 am
    Exodus Bar and Grill owner and chef
    Courtesy of Exodus Bar and Grill
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    Editor's note: It's time to look back at the top Houston news of the week. There's a new beginning for a shuttered steakhouse and a thoughtful tribute to a late Houston musician. Plus, we round up 20-plus spots for Mother's Day. Read on for the five most popular Houston stories, then consult this guide for your weekend plans.

    1. Houston's shuttered kosher steakhouse reopens as a non-kosher neighborhood grill. Jason Goldstein is leaving the world of kosher restaurants behind. Although his Meyerland restaurant Genesis Steakhouse & Wine Bar closed on April 30, its space won’t stay empty for long. In its place, Goldstein will open a new restaurant called Exodus Bar and Grill. Unlike Genesis, Exodus will not be a kosher restaurant.

    2. New Houston restaurant will honor football legend turned car dealer. Another restaurant is joining the Energy Corridor dining scene — this time as an ode to a local football legend and entrepreneur.

    Kirkwood Restaurant Energy Corridor Bar renderingKirkwood's wraparound bar features automative details, a nod to Haik's business and passion for classic cars. Courtesy of Gin Design Group

    3. More than 20 Houston restaurants making memorable Mother's Day meals. Mother's Day is tomorrow, May 11, and those looking to treat mom to a special meal for Mother’s Day have plenty of options all over Houston, but book your table now.

    4. Veteran Houston chef steps in to EaDo barbecue joint. A veteran Houston chef has taken over the kitchen at J-Bar-M BBQ. Chef Arash Kharat began serving as the executive chef and pitmaster at the EaDo restaurant in April.

    5. Friends share memories of Houston musician Scott Gertner, who died this week. Scott Gertner, one of the most prominent figures in Houston’s music and nightlife scenes, passed away recently of natural causes.

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