Corpse Flower Blooms at the Conservatory of Flowers

As we prepare for Scarlet the Corpse Flower (Amorphophallus titanum) to bloom at the Conservatory of Flowers any day now, let’s stroll down memory lane to relive our most recent corpse flower bloom in July 2025 featuring Chanel. In just two days and two nights, nearly 7,000 visitors came to see Chanel bloom in person and tens of thousands cheered for Chanel online!

What is a corpse flower?

The scientific name for a corpse flower is Amorphophallus titanum, it is the largest unbranched inflorescence (flower spike) in the plant kingdom with a record specimen reaching over 10.5 feet tall.

This incredible plant is native to the steep tropical rainforest hillsides of Sumatra, Indonesia. The island of Sumatra has one of the oldest, long lived ecosystems on earth!

How often does a corpse flower bloom?

The life cycle of the Amorphophallus titanum is a long one. It takes years of repeated dormant and leaf-growing cycles to collect and store enough energy to produce a single bloom. This endangered species blooms once every 3-5 years and smells like a dead mammal during its first 12-24 hours of blooming. The bloom itself is incredibly brief, only lasting for 1-2 days.

The infamously pungent ‘Scarlet’ the Corpse Flower last bloomed in July 2023, attracting thousands of visitors from around the country.