Look! Corpse Flower at the Huntington

We normally bring up the Huntington Cactus Garden as inspiration but lately there's been something else attracting attention at the expansive garden. It's the largest bloom in the world and it's set to open any day now:

The Corpse Flower, or Titan arum, is indigenous to Sumatra where it grows on the edge of the rain forest but the Huntington in Pasadena has one that's about to bloom. These pictures were taken on Friday on a school field trip and the stalk had reached 6 feet tall. When it blooms the blossom is likely to be at least 4 feet in diameter. And as the LA Times reported: the last time the flower bloomed in 1999 close to 76,000 people lined up to catch a peek at the elusive flower. But don't get too close, it gets its common name from its fragrance which is reminiscent of rotting flesh.

Here's what the bloom will look like:

Follow the progress of the plant on the Huntington's website where they're predicting that it will bloom by 'stinky tuesday'.

(Image: Elliott Jobe and wikipedia)

Comments (14)

Amazing!

posted by visualingual on June 15th 2009 at 4:35pm
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so cool

posted by spossberg on June 15th 2009 at 4:35pm
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Imagine the bud vase!

posted by SherryBinNH on June 15th 2009 at 4:41pm
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Stink or no stink, that is one beautiful bit of flora.

posted by kellylc on June 15th 2009 at 4:49pm
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I find it a bit creepy.

http://www.swankydigs.blogspot.com/

posted by Tara77 on June 15th 2009 at 5:38pm
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I was just talking to a friend about this flower and how people come from all over to admire its beauty while inhaling the putrid stench, much like a carton of expired milk in the fridge.

posted by Seaside on June 15th 2009 at 5:51pm
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Anyone remember a Simpsons episode where they talked about this flower? Although they probably called it something different, I didn't realize it was an actual flower!...complete with stinky fragrance! I think that's hilarious that it actually exists!

posted by KiraArts on June 15th 2009 at 8:01pm
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Little shop of horrors... "Feed me Seymour!"

posted by SusieeisuS on June 15th 2009 at 8:25pm
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@susieeisus.....you beat me to the punch...

http://www.gettogethablog.com

posted by GetTogetha on June 16th 2009 at 8:33am
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Audrey 2, is that you?!

posted by clampers on June 16th 2009 at 11:08am
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Precisely my thought, clampers.

posted by 39520expat on June 16th 2009 at 4:10pm
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KiraArts, I remember that Simpsons episode. If my web search is correct they called it the Giant Sumutran Century Flower. The smell was so bad it ran everyone out of town.

posted by lbc on June 16th 2009 at 5:39pm
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We had one that bloomed at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden a few years ago, but the stink bombed, so to speak. I skipped work and ran over there to catch a whiff of this historic stench (there was much hype in the days preceding the big event) and was completely disappointed by the lack of offense to my schnozz. I hope they have better luck in L.A.

posted by TML on June 21st 2009 at 12:34pm
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHaWu2rcP94&NR=1
Very good video about the plant.

posted by pattycake118 on June 21st 2009 at 9:27pm
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