Visitors to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden recently lined up to experience the rare and notorious bloom of the Amorphophallus gigas, commonly known as the "corpse flower" or by its nickname “Smelliot.” This rare plant, which emits the unusual scent of rotting flesh, attracted many curious onlookers eager to catch a whiff and snap some photos of the five-foot tall inflorescence.

Describing the odor, local resident Elijah Blades remarked, “It smells like feet, cheese and rotten meat. It just smelled like the worst possible combination of smells,” as reported by AP News and echoed on CNN. The flower, which stemmed from a seedling imported from Malaysia, has only bloomed for the first time since its arrival in 2018.

According to gardener Chris Sprindis, the plant can take several years between blooming cycles, making this event particularly exciting for botanic garden enthusiasts. “It’s not going to happen next year. It’s going to be several years before it happens again,” Sprindis noted, highlighting the limited time window in which visitors could see and smell the flower.

Notably, there has been a similar spectacle occurring worldwide. At the Royal Botanic Garden in Sydney, Australia, crowds also gathered to witness a bloom of the Amorphophallus titanum. This specimen, dubbed "Putricia," was blooming for the first time in over a decade, drawing thousands hoping to experience its characteristic putrid fragrance according to USA Today. Visitors in Sydney compared the smell to “hot garbage” and “a dead possum,” emphasizing the plant's capacity to evoke strong reactions.

Overall, the dual blooming events serve as a reminder of the allure and intrigue that rare botanical phenomena bring to nature lovers and curious individuals alike.