Rare And Smelly Corpse Flower Blooms At San Diego Botanic Garden

ENCINITAS, CA — The corpse flower, one of the world's rarest and smelliest plants, is in bloom at the San Diego Botanic Garden in Encinitas.

The flower gets its nickname because it smells like a rotting corpse while it's blooming. Once in full bloom, the plant will emit its stench for just two days, and then stay up for three to four days before it begins to close and slowly decay.

The blooming of a corpse flower is one of the rarest and shortest-lived spectacles in the plant world. The plants take seven to 10 years to produce their first bloom, and then bloom only every four to five years afterward.

The corpse flower is currently on display in the Dickinson Family Education Conservatory at the San Diego Botanic Garden. Officials said this particular flower was donated in 2016 and had never bloomed before — until Tuesday.

Time is ticking to see or smell the corpse flower. The San Diego Botanic Garden will extend its hours Wednesday, the second night of the bloom. Ticket reservations are required.

The San Diego Botanic Garden is located at 300 Quail Gardens Drive in Encinitas.