Rare corpse flower blooms at The Huntington Library in San Marino
A rare corpse flower finally opened its petals at The Huntingdon Library in San Marino and it is giving off a smell of "rotting flesh."
The giant amorphophallus titanium blooms for just two to three days once every year or two. When the flower blooms it unleashes its notoriously pungent odor in an effort to attract pollinators, like carrion flies and beetles.
The flower can bloom up to 8 feet tall and is actually a collection of hundreds of little flowers, both male and female.
"The process of the flower forming takes roughly about a month and once the flower opens it's gone within 48 hours," said Bryce dunn, conservatory gardener.
The bloom attracts many visitors, curious to take a sniff of the large flower known for its interesting scent.
"I wouldn't say that it was like a corpse. It's more like an urban dumpster," said Paul Rulmohr, visitor.
This year's bloom teetering closer to September, the second latest start to the season at The Huntington.
The library said the Corpse Flower began its bloom on Sunday, Aug. 27, at 12:18 p.m. PT. Visitors with admission ticket to the library can see it now in The Rose Hills Foundation Conservatory for Botanical Science during regular public hours.
