Pee-ew! The rare, stinky corpse flower is blooming at the Huntington

The rare corpse flowers at the Huntington are finally blooming, producing a scent comparable to the smell of rotten flesh. Or is it stinky gym socks? Trying to put the unique scent of the corpse flower into words is part of the reason that thousands are flocking to the Huntington's botanical gardens in San Marino this week as two rare plants on display do their thing.

“It's hilarious because when people come in, everybody has a different perspective on what they smell,” Brandon Tam said, the associate curator of the orchid collection at the Huntington. “For me personally, it smells like a dumpster on a hot summer's day.”

The jarring scent is just one of the reasons the corpse flower is such a draw; people line up for hours to get a whiff of this display and then post their reactions on Instagram and TikTok, as you can see from this livestream:

There’s a bittersweet magic and curiosity surrounding the plant, according to Tam. After its bloom, the plant collapses and can go into hiding for years. And, the most perfect blooming period only lasts for about 24 hours, so people have a small window to experience this species’ full beauty, although the scent does linger a bit. The Huntington announced Sunday afternoon (July 12) that the flowers were about to hit their peak.

The plant is also endangered, with fewer than 1,000 believed to be left in the wild.

The Huntington is possibly the easiest place to see it in the Western United States because of their conservation efforts. The institution has made up almost 20% of the documented blooms in the U.S., as of 2025. In fact, The Huntington has one of the largest corpse flower collections in North America, with more than 43 mature plants on-site, according to their website.

People might be even more excited to find out that the viewing of this plant is special this year. Not one, but two flowers are on display for the public to see — and smell.

“To have one corpse flower bloom is special — to have two at the same time is extraordinary. This moment provides The Huntington with a special opportunity to pursue three of its most important missions: research, education, and conservation,” Nicole Cavender, the Telleen/Jorgensen Director of the Botanical Gardens, stated on The Huntington’s website.

Tam explained that this is actually something that future visitors could expect to see in the next cycle. By having many mature plants in their collection, it’s likely that there will be multiple blooms in a given season. Their conservation efforts are what makes this possible, according to Tam.

The wonders of this plant bring thousands of people within just a few days. It has even had a generational impact on some families. “Funny enough, in 1989, when we had the first bloom here at Huntington, we had many kids come to learn more about this plant. They were fascinated by the plant, and more than 25 years later, these kids who are now adults are bringing their own kids to see this plant,” Tam said.