Two corpse flowers, known as titan arums and named Odorysseus and Odora, bloomed simultaneously at the Huntington library, art museum, and botanical gardens in San Marino, California, drawing more than 7,000 visitors on Monday, July 14th, 2026. The rare event gave people the chance to see two of the world’s largest and most odorous plants flowering at the same time.

Each bloom lasts only 24 to 48 hours. After the plants began unfurling over the weekend, the Huntington staff notified the public on Sunday afternoon. The flowers reached their peak overnight and started to close the following day, but visitors were still able to witness the spectacle on Monday.

Brandon Tam, curator of the Huntington’s orchid collection, said, “They were enchanted by it. People who lined up for three hours in our line just to see the corpse flowers for just a few minutes.” Tam also told the Guardian, “People were curious, people were inspired. People started to fall in love, if they haven’t already been falling in love, with plants because of this poster child of a plant that has led people to better understand that plants have a life of their own.”

The titan arum can grow more than 12 feet tall and, after its brief flowering, collapses before entering a dormant period that can last years. The Huntington has cultivated titan arums for over 25 years. Tam noted that in 2002, they pollinated a corpse flower which produced hundreds of fruits and seeds for propagation.

Sources

Guardian US