Putrid-Smelling Corpse Flower Blooms In San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — A rare corpse flower bloomed Thursday at the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers, drawing hundreds of spectators on Saturday to observe the gorgeous flower with its putrid scent first hand.

Putrid as in the stench of rotting flesh.

The giant flower begins to collapse after 48 hours, prompting the conservatory to extending its hours on Saturday so that more people could see it.

-Image via Fresco

The Conservatory of Flowers opened in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park in 1979. It stood strong through the 1906 great earthquake and fire. The area surrounding the Conservatory served as a rent city for survivors of the quake.

In 1998 the Conservatory was placed on the 100 most Endangered World Monuments list by the World Monuments Fund. The National Trust for Historic Preservation adopted the Conservatory and launched a $25 million dollar fundraising campaign. The refurbished Conservatory reopened in 2003 and has hosted more than two million visitors since.