The San Diego Botanic Garden (SDBG), the 37-acre urban oasis in north San Diego County, announced its rare corpse flower is now in full bloom – and this thing is crazy!

The corpse flower, an endangered plant with fewer than 1,000 plants remaining in the wild, only blooms every four or five years, and the fully opened bloom lasts just for 48 hours before it fades. The plant is named after its foul-smelling scent, which fanatics have deemed the ‘smell of death.’

The rock star of the plant world

“The corpse flower is the rock star of the plant world,” said SDBG president and CEO, Ari Novy. “It is taking center stage today with its incredible bloom and stench. We couldn’t be more excited for everyone to come see this amazing plant in its full glory, but hurry up! It’s a short show.”

The corpse flower, also known as Amorphophallus titanum, is endemic to the rainforests of Sumatra, Indonesia. The actual flowers of the plant are not the impressive, feet-tall struction now on display, but small flowers housed inside the base of the bloom spike’s outer casing. Both male and female flowers grow on the same bloom spike. The female flowers open first, and then, a day or two afterward, the male flowers open. The timing prevents the plant from self-pollinating.

Visiting the San Diego Botanic Garden

Established in 1970, San Diego Botanic Garden (SDBG) is a 37-acre urban oasis located in Encinitas, California, just north of San Diego – we absolutely love it!

The Garden’s four miles of trails display more than 5,000 plant species and varieties, including 300 plants for which SDBG is the only garden maintaining a population. SDBG has 15 gardens that represent different regions of the world, 12 demonstration gardens, and the largest public bamboo collection in North America. SDBG has three children’s gardens, including its flagship, one-acre Hamilton Children’s Garden, the largest kids’ garden on the west coast.

The garden is open for visitors to view the rare corpse flower plant – but it’s a very short window that it’s in bloom, so be sure to check with them before going.

To purchase tickets or for additional information, please visit here. For those who cannot make the in-person event, a livestream of the bloom’s development is available on the same page.

See you there, San Diego!