After nearly four days of budding, the Titan Arum, better known as the corpse flower, quietly began to bloom at Huntington Library Park late on the night of July 21. By the morning of July 22, eager visitors from across Southern California and beyond had formed long lines, all eager to witness this rare botanical event.
The Titan Arum, scientifically referred to as Amorphophallus titanum, originates from the tropical rainforests of Sumatra, Indonesia. It earns its notorious nickname, “corpse flower,” because of the foul smell it emits during blooming, which resembles that of rotting flesh.
Despite temperatures in San Marino climbing close to 90 degrees Fahrenheit on July 22, the crowds were undeterred. A plant expert at Huntington Park explained that this particular Titan Arum had reached over 84 inches tall by July 18 and continued to grow at an astonishing rate of 3.5 to 6.5 inches per day for three days leading up to its bloom. Late on July 21 and early on July 22, the petals began to unfold. The expert noted that the bloom’s lifespan is quite brief, typically lasting just one to three days. This brevity is why so many people rush to see it every time it flowers.
This isn’t the first time the corpse flower has captivated the public at Huntington Library Park; its initial bloom occurred in 1999, attracting nearly 10,000 visitors within just three days. The park has showcased the corpse flower approximately every two to three years since then. In 2023, the flower was on display from August 28 to 31, reaching a height of 8 feet. This year’s bloom arrived a month earlier and was even larger than its predecessor.
As noted on Wikipedia, the corpse flower boasts the largest unbranched inflorescence in the world and ranks among the tallest flowers ever recorded. The plant features both male and female flowers, with the female blooms appearing one to two days before the male flowers open. This staggered blooming schedule helps prevent self-pollination. The revolting odor attracts carrion beetles and scavenging flies, facilitating pollination.
The corpse flower was first discovered in 1878 by Italian botanist Odoardo Beccari, later introducing it to the world stage. Rarely blooming in the wild, it made a significant showing in 1889 at the Royal Botanic Gardens in London, where it bloomed nearly 60 times. The first recorded bloom in the United States took place in 1937 at the New York Botanical Garden. Over the years, its cultivation spread to various countries, making it a less uncommon sight. On June 18, 2010, a giant Titan Arum measuring 3.1 meters was exhibited at Winnipesaukee Orchids in New Hampshire, achieving the Guinness World Record for the tallest flower.
Experts at Huntington Park highlighted that while many people come to experience the corpse flower’s bloom each summer, there’s much more to see afterwards. Once the flower wilts, a single leaf emerges from the underground corm, growing up to 20 feet tall and 16 feet wide. This leaf resembles a small tree, with a green petiole branching out into numerous leaflets. At the end of the growth season, the old leaf gradually withers, and the corm enters a dormant phase lasting around four months.
