Berkeley: ‘Corpse Flower' Expected to Bloom Soon at UC Botanical Garden

A massive plant from Sumatra, Indonesia, is expected to bloom on Sunday at the University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley, according to garden officials.

Garden officials posted on Facebook that the flower started blooming Saturday evening and they expect it to be fully open on Sunday.

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The plant, nicknamed Trudy, produces one enormous branched leaf that reaches 10 to 15 feet in height. It has the largest bloom of any plant, according to garden officials.

The plant must usually be at least six to seven years old before it blooms, garden officials said. Trudy bloomed in the garden for the first time in 2005 and then bloomed again in 2009.

Garden officials said the plant, which has the official name of titan arum, has attracted worldwide attention because of its size, appearance and smell. Titan arum produce an odor similar to rotten flesh, according to garden officials.

The smell lasts for eight to 12 hours, the officials said.

Due to its illusion of decay in appearance, odor and even temperature, titan arum is often called the “Corpse Flower.”

Garden visitors can see Trudy in the Tropical House soon at the UC Botanical Garden from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.