Famous “Stinky Flower” Blooms

The famous “stinky flower” at The Huntington Library started to bloom Wednesday afternoon and is available for both visitors and members to view.

A different “Corpse Flower” known officially as Amorphophallus titanum, bloomed at The Huntington in 1999, according to the organization’s website. The most recent flower is germinated from a seed of the past “stinky flower.”

The flower is now close to 7 feet tall, a dramatic growth from its nearly two and a half foot tall stature on May 29. The estimated diameter of a fully-grown “stinky flower” is 3 to 4 feet.

This is the third famous “Corpse Flower,” known for its massive height and especially foul odor, to grace The Huntington, according to a news release.

Blooms of Amorphophallus titanium are exceptionally rare, and seeing them can be difficult because within a day or two of blooming, the flower collapses under its own weight and withers away. Only about 50 such flowers have been recorded in the United States, and The Huntington was the first in California to have the flower in 1999.

The flower can be viewed by the public between 10:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. at The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino. The flower is located at The Huntington’s Rose Hills Foundation Conservatory for Botanical Science. Those who are members or become members of The Huntington can enjoy special viewings between 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. until Saturday. For more information, call 626-405-2100.