Overview
- The Huntington’s Titan Arums nicknamed Odorysseus and Odora began opening within hours of each other starting Sunday and reached peak bloom within roughly 24 hours, creating a rare double display.
- Each bloom is very short-lived, expected to last about 24 to 48 hours, giving the public only a narrow window to see and smell the plants at full opening.
- The double bloom triggered heavy demand for in-person viewing with more than 5,700 reservations reported and long lines and sold-out tickets as visitors waited hours for a whiff and photos.
- Huntington staff are monitoring the plants on-site and via livestream while hand-pollinating the flowers and preparing to share pollen and corm divisions with partner gardens as part of their conservation program.
- The Titan Arum is an endangered Sumatran plant known for reaching more than 12 feet tall and emitting a rotting-flesh odor to attract carrion beetles and flies, and the Huntington’s large collection makes public blooms like this more likely though a near-simultaneous double opening remains uncommon.