New Corpse Flower at San Francisco Conservatory Starts to Bloom
By Stephen Ellison ••
The Corpse Flower has bloomed in San Francisco, causing quite the stink.
What to Know
Corpse Flower omits a "foul odor of rotting animal flesh" and only blooms for a few days every 7-10 years, according to the Conservatory.
This year's flower, Suma the Titan, is a 10-year-old sibling of last year's flower Terra the Titan and it will bloom for the first time.
The Conservatory of Flowers has extended its hours from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. through Wednesday.
Oooh, that smell. Can't you smell that smell?
Soon, many in San Francisco will be able to smell the pungent yet popular bloom of the Corpse Flower, which began to open Sunday at the Conservatory of Flowers in Golden Gate Park, according to a conservatory spokesperson.
SF Conservatory of Flowers
Corpse flower blooms in San Francisco.
Riya Bhattacharjee/NBC Bay Area
Visitors take selfies with the corpse flower in San Francisco.
The corpse flower gives off a smell of rotten flesh or moldy socks.
SF Conservatory of Flowers
Corpse flower blooms in San Francisco.
SF Conservatory of Flowers
Corpse flower blooms in San Francisco.
SF Conservatory of Flowers
Corpse flower blooms in San Francisco.
SF Conservatory of Flowers
Corpse flower blooms in San Francisco.
SF Conservatory of Flowers
Corpse flower blooms in San Francisco.
SF Conservatory of Flowers
Corpse flower blooms in San Francisco.
SF Conservatory of Flowers
Corpse flower blooms in San Francisco.
SF Conservatory of Flowers
Corpse flower blooms in San Francisco.
Riya Bhattacharjee/NBC Bay Area
Visitors flock to see the corpse flower.
Riya Bhattacharjee/NBC Bay Area
Orchids at the SF conservatory of Flowers.
The lily pond at the SF Conservatory of Flowers.
When Suma the Titan, an Amorphophallus titanum commonly known as Corpse Flower, reaches its peak bloom, it is accompanied with a foul smell in the evenings. The bloom will last for only 2-3 days, the conservatory said.
The scent is a deception device that tricks pollinators into thinking the plant is rotting organic matter, or as some describe it, rotting flesh, the conservatory said.[[488029961, C]]
To accommodate visitors to the rare natural spectacle, the conservatory is extending its regular hours during the bloom. It will be open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. through Wednesday.[[430169503, C]]
SFConversatory (@SFConversatory via Twitter)
SFConversatory (@SFConversatory via Twitter)
A visitor at the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers was caught on camera touching the famous corpse flower that officials say is very delicate
SF Conversatory
A visitor at the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers was caught on camera touching the famous corpse flower that officials say is very delicate
SFConversatory
A visitor at the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers was caught on camera touching the famous corpse flower that officials say is very delicate.
SFConversatory (@SFConversatory via Twitter)
The plant, also known as Terra the Titan, earned its name from the aroma it omits once flowered.
SFConversatory (@SFConversatory via Twitter)
The plant, also known as Terra the Titan, earned its name from the aroma it omits once flowered.
SFConversatory (@SFConversatory via Twitter)
The SF Conservatory of flowers is the oldest public wood-and-glass Conservatory in North America, and a botanical living museum filled with tropical plants and flowers.
