It will smell awful, but it will be a sweet fragrance for botanists and other plant lovers on the Central Coast. A rare corpse flower (Amorphophallus titanium) at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo is expected to bloom this week.
When the flower cluster shows signs of opening, there is a brief window when the bloom fully expands. It’s usually 24 to 48 hours.
When it does bloom, it puts out a powerful odor that some compare to rotting flesh. The plant generates the smell to attract flies and beetles, which are necessary for pollination.
The flower is at the Cal Poly Campus Plant Conservatory, on the Cal Poly campus. When the bloom cycle starts, the Conservatory will set up visiting hours.
