Overview

• Chanel, an Amorphophallus titanum specimen at Golden Gate Park’s Conservatory of Flowers, is in the second and final day of its 24–36-hour bloom on July 9.
• The garden has extended its opening hours into the evening to accommodate surging visitor interest in the rare floral event.
• The flower emits putrescine and sulfur compounds and generates heat through thermogenesis to mimic decaying flesh and attract pollinating flies and beetles.
• After the spadix withers and collapses, Chanel will enter a dormancy phase and is not expected to bloom again for another three to five years.
• Native to western Sumatra’s rainforests and endangered in the wild, corpse flowers require years to accumulate energy for their fleeting, odorous displays.