Thousands visit California as two corpse flowers bloom simultaneously

Two corpse flowers have bloomed simultaneously at the Huntington Library, Art Museum and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California, drawing more than 7,000 visitors on Monday. The two titan arums, named Odorysseus and Odora, began flowering over the weekend at the research facility located about 12 miles from downtown Los Angeles.

Staff at the Huntington notified the public on Sunday afternoon once the plants began unfurling. By Monday morning, advance tickets were sold out. Visitors queued for hours to observe the plants, with some waiting three hours or more to see them in person.

Each bloom lasts only 24 to 48 hours before the plant collapses and enters a dormancy period that can extend for years. The simultaneous flowering of two specimens is extraordinarily rare, allowing visitors to directly compare two structures that normally deploy in isolation and without advance notice.

The titan arum, scientifically known as Amorphophallus titanum, is among the world's largest and most odorous plants. The blooming event drew visitors described as enchanted by the opportunity to witness the phenomenon.