The rare blooming of a corpse flower, the unbranched green giant of the plant kingdom known for its powerful odor, is anticipated to happen within the next week or two at the Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens in San Marino.
People are known to come from all over the world to catch the unpredictable plant in action, and The Huntington has been busy setting the stage for what is a fleeting but mesmerizing moment.
The bloom lasts between 24 hours and 36 hours, at which time it emits the stench produced by the chemical compounds of dimethyl disulfide and dimethyl trisulfide.
Huntington officials have one of the 43 mature specimens of the amorphophallus titanum on display for public viewing. The rest are kept in greenhouses on the grounds until they grow too tall for those buildings.
“Since 1999, our goal has been conservation, pollination, propagation and dissemination of this species to share (with other botanical gardens) and making (the corpse flower) accessible to a wider audience,” said Brandon Tam, associate curator of the orchid collection.
The plant can take four to six years before flowering again and the bloom can grow to more than 12 feet in height and open to a width of 4 feet across, Tam said.
So, being in the right place at the right time is imperative to experience the bloom and the putrid smell, which is something similar to rotting meat.
And to help the public be part of the moment, without the odor of course, The Huntington is livestreaming the plant’s progress on YouTube.
Since Aug. 14, the corpse flower on display in The Rose Hills Foundation Conservatory for Botanical Science has grown seven inches. At its peak, it can grow six inches a day.
Tabatha Jolivet of Conejo Valley came to see the flower on Thursday and she was not disappointed.
“I’m thrilled to know that it’s active,” Jolivet said.
Her daughter, Shelby Jolivet, went home a tad dissatisfied.
“I want to smell the stink,” she announced,…
Read the full article here
