logo
#

Latest news with #GreenBoy

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

Los Angeles Times

time2 days ago

  • General
  • Los Angeles Times

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

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.

Move fast if you want to see the blooming of a corpse flower at the Huntington
Move fast if you want to see the blooming of a corpse flower at the Huntington

Los Angeles Times

time2 days ago

  • General
  • Los Angeles Times

Move fast if you want to see the blooming of a corpse flower at the Huntington

A corpse flower nicknamed 'Green Boy' is set to bloom at The Huntington in 10–12 days, releasing its notorious odor for just 24–48 Huntington has cultivated corpse flowers since 1999 and maintains 43 mature plants, sharing pollen and corms worldwide to protect the endangered species. Staff hope the bloom's popularity sparks interest in plant conservation, as fewer than 1,000 remain in the wild.

Hold your nose: A corpse flower is almost ready for its short-lived stinky bloom at the Huntington
Hold your nose: A corpse flower is almost ready for its short-lived stinky bloom at the Huntington

Time Out

time15-07-2025

  • General
  • Time Out

Hold your nose: A corpse flower is almost ready for its short-lived stinky bloom at the Huntington

Normally we associate gardens with all sorts of lovely smelling flowers. But it's a stench akin to that of rotting flesh that attracts visitors to the Huntington each summer—including this one. The San Marino botanical garden announced on Tuesday that its latest corpse flower is expected to bloom within the next two weeks. As a result, the institution has started an around-the-clock live stream to keep tabs on the remarkably stinky but short-lived bloom cycle. For now, 'Green Boy,' as it's been nicknamed, looks like a stumpy green stalk. But during its peak development, the rare titan arum specimen can grow as much as six inches per day to ultimately reach a height of 12 feet. When it's finally ready to bloom, as it previously did in 2021, it'll unfurl into what looks like a massive burgundy-maroon flower—and release an unmistakably foul odor along with it. Here's the thing, though: These blooms are notoriously unpredictable and brief. It takes two to three years for a single specimen to bloom, but then that only lasts for 24 to 48 hours. Though botanical staff meticulously chart the growth, sometimes the flowers can bloom unexpectedly. You can watch the live stream to keep tabs on Green Boy's growth, and expect the Huntington to share an announcement on social media when it's bloomed, as well. Once it does bloom, you can view it inside of the Rose Hills Foundation Conservatory for Botanical Science (the large greenhouse toward the northern part of the garden's property). Access is included with a standard timed admission ticket, which costs $29 for adults, and $34 from Friday to Sunday. There may be a bit of a line to see it during the peak bloom, and note that viewing times are limited to the Huntington's usual 9am to 5pm hours—however, in the past, the institution has offered some additional member hours. Sometimes, I swear these flowers keep tabs on the operating hours, because in the past they've bloomed overnight or on a Tuesday, when the Huntington is closed. That said, I think these corpse flowers are still worth seeing even after their peak. Here's a trio of corpse flowers I saw there in 2018; there was little left to see of 'Stink' almost a week after it bloomed, and 'Stank' was already wilting a day after its own bloom, but 'Stunk,' visible on the right side of the photo below, was still beautifully unfurled the next day—though the rotting flesh smell had already dissipated. Speaking of that odor, that's how corpse flowers attract pollinators. Titan arum, which are native to the rainforests of western Sumatra, Indonesia, are actually a massive collection of many smaller blooms, and when those flower, the plant unleashes a stench that attracts carrion beetles and flies. (In this case, the botanical staff carries out that pollination themselves using brushes.) Fewer than 1,000 titan arum specimens remain in the wild, but the Huntington actually has a whole cadre of corpse flowers: It currently cares for 43 between its conservatory and greenhouses, and Green Boy will mark the Huntington's 27th bloom since 1999, a record among Western U.S. institutions.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store