SAN MARINO — They are lovably stinky. They are an attraction every time. And they are now, ahem, opening for business – at least for a moment: Two rare Titan Arums, commonly known as Corpse Flowers, began blooming Sunday afternoon at The Huntington.
From now until the giant creatures close again, which will be soon, visitors will see one of the plant world’s shortest-lived and most pungent spectacles – a tradition at the venerable San Marino museum.
The plants went on public display on July 2 at The Huntington’s Rose Hills Foundation Conservatory for Botanical Science, and visitors have been monitoring their progress ever since.
One of the plants, nicknamed “Odora,” last bloomed in 2024, while the second plant, Odorysseus, made its public debut, according to The Huntington. Officials invited the public to help name the newcomer through its Instagram account: @thehuntingtonlibrary.
Visitors at the Huntington, dozens at a time, packed near the flowers Sunday afternoon, many taking photos of Odorysseus, which began blooming before 2 p.m. Odora began blooming shortly before 4 p.m.
Each bloom is expected to last only 24 to 48 hours.
The Titan Arum, which is native to the rainforests of western Sumatra, Indonesia, is known for producing an odor resembling rotting flesh to attract pollinators such as carrion beetles and flies, officials said. The endangered species can grow more than 12 feet tall and, at peak development, as much as six inches per day.
“To have one Corpse Flower bloom is special — to have two at the same time is extraordinary,” Nicole Cavender, director of The Huntington’s Botanical Gardens, said in a statement. “With each flowering, botanists learn more about this unusual plant, while The Huntington shares with its visitors not only some fascinating new facts but also an increased appreciation for the wonder and diversity of the plant kingdom.”
- Also see: The keepers of the stink – Behind The Huntington’s corpse flower blooms, the work is personal
The Huntington maintains one of North America’s largest collections of Titan Arums, with more than 43 mature plants, officials said.
Since acquiring its first specimen in 1999, the institution has publicly exhibited 29 Corpse Flower blooms, more than any other institution in the western United States, according to officials.
Botanical Collections staff members hand-pollinate the plants during flowering to produce seeds for cultivation and distribution to other botanical gardens. The Huntington said it also shares pollen and underground plant stems with partner institutions as part of efforts to preserve the endangered species and reduce pressure on wild populations.
Visitors can follow the blooms during public hours or online through a livestream at huntington.org/corpse-flower. On Monday, admission to The Huntington is fro 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at The Huntington’s Rose Hills Foundation Conservatory for Botanical Science. The Huntington is at1151 Oxford Road, San Marino.
City News Service contributed to this article.