Visitors are expected to flock to The Huntington Monday after two rare Titan Arums, commonly known as corpse flowers, began blooming simultaneously in only the second such event in the institution’s history.
The Huntington announced Sunday that the two plants had begun blooming simultaneously, saying peak viewing is expected Monday.
The two plants, nicknamed Odora and Odorysseus, are flowering together at The Huntington’s Rose Hills Foundation Conservatory for Botanical Science, although officials cautioned that the display will be short-lived, with each bloom remaining at its peak for only about 24 hours before beginning to fade.
Native to the rainforests of western Sumatra, Indonesia, the Titan Arum is known for producing an odor that attracts pollinators such as carrion beetles and flies. Visitors and botanists have compared the scent to rotten eggs, gym socks and decaying flesh.
Odora last bloomed in 2024, while Odorysseus is making its first public appearance, according to The Huntington.
“To have one Corpse Flower bloom is special — to have two at the same time is extraordinary,” Nicole Cavender, director of The Huntington’s Botanical Gardens, said in a statement last week.
The endangered species can grow more than 12 feet tall and, at peak development, as much as six inches per day.
The Huntington maintains one of North America’s largest collections of Titan Arums, with more than 43 mature plants, officials said.
Since acquiring its first specimen in 1999, the institution has publicly exhibited 29 corpse flower blooms, more than any other institution in the western United States, according to officials.
Botanical collections staff members hand-pollinate the plants during flowering to produce seeds for cultivation and distribution to other botanical gardens. The Huntington said it also shares pollen and underground plant stems with partner institutions as part of efforts to preserve the endangered species and reduce pressure on wild populations.
Eligible Huntington members will have access to special early viewing hours from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Monday. Visitors can also follow the blooms during public hours or online through a livestream at huntington.org/corpse-flower.