Kew’s foul-smelling ‘corpse flower’ blooms again

Visitors to Kew Gardens are still able to catch a glimpse – and whiff – of its titan arum plant, otherwise known as the corpse flower, after it burst into bloom on Tuesday.

The flower, which is said to stink like rotting flesh, usually only emerges once every two years.

According to the website of the famous south-west London botanic gardens, when the titan arum flowers it often attracts thousands of visitors hoping to experience the “magnificent sight and disgusting stench”.

The attraction extended its opening hours on Tuesday, but told the BBC the bloom would likely only last until the end of Wednesday.

The plant has the world’s largest flowering structure, which can reach almost 10ft (3m) tall, according to Kew.

Its flower is coloured like a piece of meat and its spike produces heat, which Kew said helps its smell travel, meaning it can attract pollinators from up to half a mile away.

The plant only grows in the rainforests of Sumatra, but is endangered in the wild due to deforestation and land degradation.

Visitors can find it inside the Princess of Wales Conservatory on site.