An endangered plant known as the stinky plant or the corpse flower for its putrid stink is about to bloom in Australia—and is captivating the internet in the process, with thousands already tuned in to a livestream ahead of its grand debut.
The titan arum plant, housed in the Royal Botanic Gardens of Sydney (RBG), blooms only once every few years for just 24 hours. Affectionately dubbed Putricia, it will release a smell described as “wet socks, hot cat food, or rotting possum flesh.”
The long wait and uncertainty as to when Putricia will bloom has spawned jokes and even a unique lingo in the livestream’s chat, with thousands commenting “WWTF”, or “We Watch the Flower.”
The current view is not up to much: Putricia stands silent and tall in front of a brown curtain, comfortably ensconced behind a red velvet rope. Occasionally, a visitor pops into the frame as they snap a selfie with the plant.
You can watch the stinky plant’s blooming here:
The Gardens have said it is “hard to predict exactly when” Putricia will bloom, but that has not stopped the thousands gathered online. In case you miss it here is what happens:
The Titan arum, or corpse flower, is a giant plant from Sumatra, Indonesia. It smells like rotting flesh to attract insects and can grow up to 10 feet tall. Its rare bloom lasts only 24 to 48 hours.pic.twitter.com/k5GvVDuoVn
— Volcaholic 🌋 (@volcaholic1) June 20, 2024
What is the stinky plant?
The flower, scientifically known as Amorphophallus titanum and called Bunga Bangkai in Indonesian, is native to the Indonesian island of Sumatra and is one of the largest flowers in the world when it blooms.
Its scientific name Amorphophallus titanum is derived from Ancient Greek and means “giant misshapen penis.”
It has the world’s largest flowering structure, as it can grow up to 3m (10 feet) tall and weigh up to 150kg. The plant contains several hundred flowers in the base of its spadix. It is endangered in the wild due to deforestation and land degradation.
When the flower blooms, it emits a strong stench to attract pollinators like beetles and flies, which mistake the odour for that of a rotting animal and lay their eggs in it.
“The smell and colour of the flower trick them into visiting and the heat generated by the plant entices them to visit, breed and party,” the RBG said in a statement.
Paul Nicholson, manager of volunteer programs at the RBG, said: “If you’ve got some wet teenage socks, throw that into a blender, then you get some cat food you’ve left out in the sun, whack that in your blender, and then get some day old vomit. Put that in the blender, blend it all up, rip the lid off.”
“That’s the kind of smell you’re getting. It’s actually stunningly beautiful as well.”