'Corpse Flower' Set to Open at UC Berkeley Any Day Now

A massive plant from Sumatra, Indonesia, may bloom any day now at the University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley, according to garden officials. The plant, nicknamed Trudy, produces one enormous branched leaf that reaches 10 to 15 feet in height. It has the largest bloom of any plant, according to garden officials.

The plant must usually be at least six to seven years old before it blooms, garden officials said. Trudy bloomed in the garden for the first time in 2005 and then bloomed again in 2009.

Garden officials said the plant, which has the official name of titan arum, has attracted worldwide attention because of its size, appearance and smell. Titan arums produce an odor similar to rotten flesh, according to garden officials.

The smell lasts for eight to 12 hours, the officials said. Garden visitors can see Trudy in the Tropical House any day from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the last entry to the garden at 4:30 p.m.

Watch video of the last time Trudy bloomed in 2009.

Photo courtesy University of California Botanical Garden at Berkeley

Video embed courtesy Sue Rhee via YouTube