Celebrating the 4th of July with a Stinky Surprise!

On the 4th of July in 2023, I had a unique opportunity to see the blooming of the Corpse Flower at San Francisco’s Conservatory of Flowers. It was a fun and tedious two days to try to see the flower!

When I went to see it on Monday, 7/3 night, I arrived late (around 8:45 pm), but the event was supposed to end at 9:30 pm. I thought I could make it. I was excitedly waiting with the other people in the line, thinking I would make it before the doors closed. However, after a few minutes of standing there, the employees turned people away and notified me that they would be open tomorrow. I also heard from other guests that there was a small window in the Conservatory where you could see the Corpse flower. So, I went to the window to take photos (they did not come out well). I got to smell the flower from the outside, which was pretty intense! I then decided to try again the next day.

On Tuesday, I arrived at 9:45 am, the opening was 10:00 am, and the line was much longer than Monday night! I stayed in line for an hour and a half to see (and, of course, smell) this flower! I also got to make friends in line while I waited too. And it was worth it! The smell was interesting, reminding me of fresh compost to trash that stayed out too long. I asked other people what they smelled, and they thought of cabbage or radish. Thank you to the Conservatory of Flowers for allowing us to participate in a rare occasion like this!

#conservatoryofflowers #corpseflowerbloom #corpseflower