Australians respond to the smell of a plant in flowering

Almost 20,000 people have visited the Botanical Gardens in Sydney to catch a whiff of an endangered plant known as a “corpse flower” while blooming.

Entitled Putricia, the Titan Arum plant radiates a rotten odor, like a “thing rotting” or “hot garbage” for 24 hours after flowering.

The smell is the result of chemical production that occurs in the plant to attract pollinators.

The endangered flower – a native of Sumatra, Indonesia – blooms only every 7-10 years in the wild. It is believed that there are less than 1000 plants worldwide, including those in cultivation.