Corpse Flower In Full, Stinky Bloom At UC Berkeley's Botanical Garden
BERKELEY (CBS SF) -- The "corpse flower" in UC Berkeley's Botanical Garden is in bloom Sunday, and plant lovers are flocking to get a whiff of its pungent odor before it's gone.
The Sumatran titan arum nicknamed "Trudy" came into full bloom Sunday after weeks of anticipation for garden officials.
The garden tweeted Sunday that "Trudy the corpse flower is open and stinky! It'll only be smelly today. It's already wilting."
Trudy bloomed in the garden for the first time in 2005 and then bloomed again in 2009.
Trudy opened a little Saturday evening at about 6 p.m., and was flowering more at about 9 p.m. when garden officials left for the day, associate director for visitors services Jonathan Goodrich said.
By the end of Sunday it will have run its course.
"It's a very quick event," Goodrich said.
Titan Arums are also known for their distinct odor as well as their size.
"Like mega dirty socks wrapped around a rotting steak," Goodrich said.
He said the odor is strongest when the plant first opens.
The odor was fading and could be smelled only near the plant as of about 3:45 p.m. Sunday, he said.
Goodrich said the garden has had its busiest day Sunday in 12 years, with easily more than 1,000 visitors. Many have gone to see Trudy.
About 200 people visit the garden on a typical Sunday, Goodrich said.
The garden is open until 7 p.m. tonight, with the last entry at 6:30 p.m. But Goodrich said there is little parking in the area.
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