Stinky Flower Set To Bloom For First Time Since 2003
San Francisco, CA — Crowds are gathering hoping to catch a whiff of the “corpse flower” at San Francisco´s Conservatory of Flowers.
The titan arum nicknamed “Ted the Titan” hasn´t bloomed since 2003 at its permanent home at the University of California, Davis.
The relative of the calla lilly blooms for three or four days every couple years. It can grow to nine feet tall.
“Ted the Titan” is 10 years old and about four feet tall. The conservatory has extended its hours this weekend, bracing for the crowds. The world-famous flower has even been featured in an episode of “The Simpsons.”
Its signature scent has been compared to dirty socks or rotting meat. It uses the smell to attract pollinating insects like flies and carrion beetles that think the pungent odor means food.
