Stinky 'corpse flower' expected to bloom soon in Golden Gate Park

SAN FRANCISCO - Do not be alarmed if you smell a rotten corpse around the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park.

It is just a very stinky plant.  

The infamous smelly ‘corpse flower’ is expected to bloom soon at the conservatory, staff members said. 

The flower should bloom in a couple of days but "that's the best guess we can give," said Sarah Sawtelle, manager of engagement at the conservatory. 

Sawtelle said they can only confirm the afternoon of the bloom. The full bloom happens in the evening, along with the foul smell. 

‘Corpse Flower’, which official name is Titan Arum, got its name due to its noxious smell. Some compared the smell to a dead rodent, stinky feet, bad breath, and rotten cheese, said Sawtelle. 

When the flower blooms, the whole conservatory building, sometimes even outside the building, would carry that horrendous smell. 

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The plant takes seven to 10 years to reach maturity, according to Sawtelle, and blooms every three to five years after its first bloom. 

The flower at the conservatory bloomed for the first time almost four years ago in 2018. 

The conservatory plans to extend its opening hours to 8:30 p.m. when the flower is at its peak of blooming, said Sawtelle.