After over a decade, Sydney is buzzing about a flower that stinks to high heaven—literally. The corpse flower, or Amorphophallus titanum, has finally bloomed, and thousands of curious folks are lining up to see (and smell) it.
A Rare Bloom
Here’s the deal with this famous flower: it takes years to bloom, and no one really knows when it’s going to happen. To make it even more special, the bloom only lasts about 24 hours. So yeah, it’s a “blink and you’ll miss it” kind of moment.
Sydney hadn’t seen this flower bloom since 2010. So, when a corpse flower—nicknamed “Putricia”—started to open at the Royal Botanic Garden on Thursday, it was like a mini stampede.
People stood in lines that stretched forever, with some waiting up to three hours just to get a glimpse (and catch a whiff).
Why All the Fuss?
According to Brett Summerell, the head scientist at the Botanic Gardens, it’s the flower’s mix of being gigantic, super rare, and unbelievably smelly that pulls in the crowds.
“The smell? It’s like a dead possum,” Brett said. Lovely, right?
Sydney local Rebecca McGee-Collett, who waited 90 minutes to see Putricia, said the flower looked amazing but smelled like straight-up garbage.
Not Sydney’s First Stinky Moment
Sydney isn’t the only Aussie city going crazy for the corpse flower. Back in November 2024, Geelong’s Botanic Gardens had their own smelly superstar. People flocked to see it, and for those who couldn’t make it, the garden even set up a live stream.
A Flower Worth Protecting
Now, here’s the serious part. The corpse flower is native to Indonesia and is officially listed as “endangered” on the IUCN Red List. Its natural home—the forests of Sumatra—is under constant threat from deforestation and land being converted into palm oil plantations.
This flower can live up to 40 years, but it only blooms a handful of times during its life. Right now, there are probably only a few hundred left in the wild.
The good news? Indonesia has laws to protect the species, and botanical gardens around the globe are stepping up to grow and conserve this fascinating plant.
So, Should You Go See It?
If you’re in Sydney and have the patience to wait in line, seeing (and smelling) this flower is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience. It’s weird, it’s gross, and it’s totally worth it. Just make sure to bring some nose plugs!