A plant that smells like sweaty socks is about to bloom at a London greenhouse

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A giant, unusual plant famous for its incredibly strong and unpleasant smell is about to flower at the Princess of Wales Conservatory in London.

The titan arum, also called the corpse flower, is growing quickly – about 8 centimeters (3 inches) each day! It’s already over 2.2 meters (7 feet) tall.

This flower blooms briefly, offering a stunning display for only a day or two before it fades.

Why does it smell so bad?

Okay, so I was reading about the corpse flower, and apparently its awful smell isn’t just one thing. It’s actually a combo of two nasty chemicals! One smells exactly like old, rotting cabbage, and the other… well, it’s the same stuff that makes sweaty socks stink. Seriously! Metro said it, so you know it’s true. It’s a truly terrible combination, even for a plant trying to attract flies.

When this plant flowers, it actually produces its own heat. It warms up the central stem to around body temperature, which helps its scent travel farther.

The scent evolved to draw in carrion beetles and flesh flies, which then help with pollination.

A plant that barely blooms

The titan arum is a rare flower, taking seven to ten years to bloom for the first time. After that, it typically only flowers every few years, making each bloom a special occasion for plant experts.

This plant boasts the largest single flower in the world, reaching over 3 meters in height. Sadly, it’s endangered in the wild because its forest home in Sumatra is being destroyed.

Although the titan arum is currently capturing attention in greenhouses, one gardener recently conducted a peculiar experiment: they buried Taco Bell under a tomato plant to observe the results.

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2026-04-25 22:19