Corpse flower comes alive, surprises everyone

A titan arum or corpse flower which bloomed in Germany a while ago. On Sept 29 a similar flower bloomed unexpectedly in the Chicago Botanic Garden. The flower from the forests of Indonesia smells like rotting flesh and lives for just 24 or 36 hours. Photo: EPA

Thousands of curiosity seekers lined up in the blustery, dark Chicago Botanic Garden on the night of Sept 29 to catch a rare glimpse of a 1.4-meter tall corpse flower in full bloom, but not in full stench.

The garden in a north Chicago suburb planned to stay open until 2am on Sept 30 to let the crowds see the blooming corpse flower - properly known as the titan arum or Amorphophallus titanum - during the 24 to 36 hours it is expected to stay in bloom.