The rare, stinky corpse flowers draw flies and long lines of humans to The Huntington

The rare corpse flowers at The Huntington are finally blooming, producing a scent comparable to rotten flesh. Or is it stinky gym socks?

Trying to put the unique smell of the corpse flower into words is part of the reason that thousands are flocking to the Huntington’s botanical gardens in San Marino this week as two plants on display do their thing.

“It’s hilarious because when people come in, everybody has a different perspective on what they smell,” said Brandon Tam, the associate curator of the orchid collection at the Huntington. “For me personally, it smells like a dumpster on a hot summer’s day.”

The jarring scent is just one of the reasons the corpse flower is such a draw — people line up for hours to get a whiff of this display and then post their reactions on Instagram and TikTok, as you can see from this livestream:

What’s the big deal with the bloom?

There’s a bittersweet magic and curiosity surrounding the plant, according to Tam. After its bloom, the plant collapses and can go into hiding for years. The peak blooming period only lasts for about 24 hours, so people have a small window to experience this species’ full beauty, although the scent does linger a bit.

The plant is also endangered, with fewer than 1,000 believed to be left in the wild.

The Huntington is possibly the easiest place to see it in the Western United States because of its conservation efforts. The institution has made up almost 20% of the documented blooms in the U.S. as of 2025.

In fact, the Huntington says it has one of the largest corpse flower collections in North America, with more than 43 mature plants on-site.

Does it smell as bad as it sounds?

People may have been even more excited to find out that the viewing of this plant is special this year. Not one, but two flowers are on display for the public to see — and smell.

The Huntington announced Sunday afternoon (July 12) that the flowers — nicknamed Odora and Odorysseus — were about to hit their peak.

Tickets sold out quickly Monday, the parking lot was full and the more than 3 hour line to see the plants wrapped around the gardens. Even the corpse flower t-shirts in the gift shop were running low.

Jo Rivas-Watanabe traveled from Minnesota for a birthday trip to the Huntington. She told LAist she’s always wanted to see a corpse flower, but it wasn’t as stinky as expected.

“It looks like a little lettuce so I think it’s super cute,” Rivas-Watanabe said with a laugh. “I was like thinking if I’m a bug, I would want to go there.”

Jay Girard of West Hills waited in line for a little over an hour, but his group also didn’t find the odor overwhelming.

“I get whiffs every now and then … it doesn’t like deter anyone to see it,” he told LAist.

“I hardly smell anything,” Michelle Ulber of West Hills added.

Tam said the stench is typically the strongest overnight, and it was already starting to dissipate by early Monday afternoon. He said he expects the summer blooming spectacle to be wrapped up by Tuesday as the plants continue to close.

What about next season?

Tam explained that the double bloom is actually something that future visitors could expect to see in the next cycle. By having many mature plants in their collection, it’s likely that there will be multiple blooms in a given season. Their conservation efforts are what makes this possible, according to Tam.

The wonders of this plant bring thousands of people within just a few days. It has even had a generational impact on some families.

“Funny enough, in 1989, when we had the first bloom here at Huntington, we had many kids come to learn more about this plant. They were fascinated by the plant, and more than 25 years later, these kids who are now adults are bringing their own kids to see this plant,” Tam said.