Stinky Corpse Flower in Bloom - Berkeley Botanical Garden

It's supposed to smell like decomposing flesh and rotting fish. But during our visit with the esteemed corpse flower today, it politely refrained from pulsating and smelling up the joint. We caught the barest whiff of rot -- no respirator required. (A gardener at the Brooklyn Botanic garden had to wear one while getting intimate with Brooklyn's own Titan arum flower.)

The Titan's smell serves a biological purpose -- attracting beetles who love carrion. But its notorious bloom is a fleeting one. The bloom remains open for just a few days, and the odor dissipates as the bloom closes up again. The smells come in pulses, a docent told us, sometimes more pungent at night.

The UC Berkeley Botanical Garden will be open late until 6p tonight (July 1) and on July 2 -- for viewings. (Normal closing hour is 5:00pm.)

As we left the garden, a mother with two excited young boys asked us for directions to the tropical house. "Did you smell it?" she asked. We told her about the pulses. "I hope it stinks while we're in there," she replied. "The boys would love it."

If you feel the same way, get over there -- fast. (See the map below.)

UC Berkeley Botanical Garden Website | Map to UC Berkeley Botanical Garden | Best Lunch Spots in Berkeley

^{Photo © Ingrid Taylar}