Allan the Corpse Flower Is In Full Bloom (And Stink) at the Huntington Library

Allan the Amorphophallus Corpse Flower is blooming (and stinking) at the Huntington Library.

The Library reported that “the magnificent bloom started Sunday, Aug. 27 at 12:18 p.m.”

The Huntington says a Corpse Flower in bloom is “as rare as it is spectacular.”

“A plant can go many years without flowering, and when it does the bloom lasts only one or two days,” according to Huntongton’s website. 

When it does, the plant (scientific name Amorphophallus titanium), native to the tropical rainforests of Sumatra, releases a rotten stench that’s meant to attract pollinating insects – those that feed on dead animals or lay their eggs in rotting meat.

“Some people travel around the world hoping to see it at the moment it flowers. For botanists and the public, being ‘in the right place at the right time’ to see one of these magnificent plants in bloom can be a once-in-a-lifetime treat.”

Visitors can see the plant bloom in the Conservatory now and during the Library’s Twilight Garden Strolls, concluding at 7:30 p.m. You can also watch on live stream: https://bit.ly/3qNyw7c

The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens are at 1151 Oxford Road in San Marino.

For more information, visit www.huntington.org/corpseflower.