The return of stinky: How to see a corpse flower in L.A. that's ready to bloom

Los Angeles Times

2 days ago

In the mysterious world of plants at the Huntington, it's that time of year again. The extremely rare — and extremely stinky — corpse flower is about to bloom.
Sometime toward the end of this week, the plant is expected to unfurl at the San Marino institution and show off for just 24 to 48 hours. And it will smell for about that long too. 'It smells pretty bad,' said Brandon Tam, the Huntington's associate curator of orchids.
People compare the odor to dead rats, gym socks and rotten eggs — hence the morbid name.
But the smell is part of the plant's strategy, Tam said. In the wild, its stench lures pollinators like carrion beetles and flies, which are drawn to the smell of rotting flesh. At the Huntington, it also attracts people.
Since 1999, the Huntington has been cultivating corpse flowers, giving visitors a chance to see this phenomenon without flying to Indonesia, where the plant is native. Over the years, the bloom has built a loyal following.
'It's incredible for the general public to be so invested in this plant,' Tam said, adding that generations of families have returned year after year to witness the bloom.
In the wild, the plant blooms every four to six years, but at the Huntington, horticultural practices have reduced that interval to about two to three years. The plant is also massive. It can grow more than 12 feet tall, producing what is considered the largest unbranched flower structure in the world.
What many people mistake for a single enormous flower is actually an inflorescence — a structure made up of hundreds of tiny flowers at the base. The female flowers open first, then the males a day later, to prevent self-pollination.
When the bloom begins, it starts as a massive green bud and grows fast. As it approaches its full height, the growth rate accelerates to three to six inches per day. In the final days before the bloom, the pace slows again — a sign the plant is getting ready to open.
'You can come in every day and see this plant grow right before your eyes,' Tam said.
When it finally opens, the outer leaf-like structure called a spathe peels back to reveal a maroon interior. The central spike, or spadix, heats up to help spread the smell.
The odor tends to peak overnight and lingers into the morning hours when the garden opens, because its pollinators are active at night, Tam said.
Typically, the bloom begins around 3 p.m. and reaches its peak in the early hours of the morning — sometimes 1 or 2 a.m. It will hold its shape into the next day before beginning to collapse. Afterward, the plant dies back and goes dormant. In a few months, a single leaf emerges, allowing the plant to photosynthesize and rebuild the energy needed for its next bloom, two to three years later.
This year's bloom, the first of the season, is nicknamed 'Green Boy.' The name is a playful nod to Thomas Gainsborough's 'The Blue Boy,' one of the Huntington's famous paintings, and a reference to the plant's greener-than-usual spadix.
Another bloom could follow later this season, depending on the plants' growth cycles. Tam said the timing for the blooms is always a guessing game. 'Every single year is a challenge to predict when the corpse flower will bloom,' Tam said.
Fluctuating weather predicts when the plant will bloom, meaning when it's hotter, the plant grows a lot faster, Tam said.
The Huntington has one of the largest collections of corpse flowers in North America, with 43 mature plants. That makes it a leader in conserving a species that is endangered in the wild. Fewer than 1,000 plants remain in Sumatra.
'Any plant that generates public attention is a good thing for us because we can leverage that to talk about all the other plants that aren't getting this attention,' said Sean C. Lahmeyer, the Huntington's associate director of botanical collections, conservation and research.
Lahmeyer called the corpse flower 'a jumping-off point' for conversations about biodiversity.
'All of our living collections, things we have around us, including this plant, are the basis for our plant conservation program here at the Huntington,' Lahmeyer said. 'We want to ask ourselves: What are we doing with these plants while we have them alive?'
The Huntington shares pollen and corms of the corpse flower with other botanical gardens, distributing hundreds of specimens to maintain genetic diversity, discourage poaching and strengthen conservation networks.
The first U.S. corpse flower bloom occurred in 1937 at the New York Botanical Garden. Since then, more than 46 blooms have been recorded across the country, with the Huntington responsible for 27 blooms, according to the Huntington's website.
'The botanical gardens are special places where people can see plant diversity,' Lahmeyer said. ' ... It's meant for the public to come here and get wowed.'
The summer bloom will be displayed in the Rose Hills Foundation Conservatory. For those who can't make it in person, there's a livestream on the Huntington's website. But for the full experience — the sight, the scale and yes, the smell — you'll have to see it for yourself.
'The motto of a lot of what we try to say here is 'plants are up to something,'' Tam said. 'And this is a great example.'
The Huntington is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday through Monday. Reservations are required Friday through Sunday and on holidays.