A rare Amorphophallus titanum, commonly known as the corpse flower, bloomed at the University of Warsaw Botanical Garden overnight, attracting crowds of visitors on Tuesday (August 5) eager to experience the unusual plant.

Native to Sumatra, the corpse flower is known for its infrequent blooming cycle and its distinct odour.

"It blooms only once every few years," said Piotr Dobrzynski, curator of the greenhouse plant collection, adding that it emits a rather distinctive smell, reminiscent of rotting meat.

This year's specimen reached an impressive height of 180 cm and a width of 122 cm.

The plant, which previously bloomed four years ago, now weighs 40 kg, having gained approximately 15 kg since its last flowering.

Its unique ability to heat up to disperse its scent adds to its rarity outside its natural habitat.

Visitors described the smell as a mix of decomposition and plant matter. The event has become a major draw for the botanical garden, offering a rare glimpse into one of nature's most unusual phenomena.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

WARSAW, POLAND (AUGUST 5, 2025) (REUTERS-Access all)

1. VARIOUS OF VISITORS LOOKING AT AND TAKING PHOTOS OF AMORPHOPHALLUS TITANUM PLANT, ALSO KNOWN AS THE CORPSE FLOWER

2. (SOUNDBITE) (Polish) CURATOR OF THE GREENHOUSE PLANT COLLECTION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WARSAW BOTANICAL GARDEN PIOTR DOBRZYNSKI, SAYING:

"The uniqueness of this plant lies, among other things, in the fact that it blooms only once every few years. It produces one of the largest leaves among the Amorphophallus genus. It has the largest underground organ - a tuber - and it blooms at night. It emits a rather distinctive smell, reminiscent of rotting meat."

WARSAW, POLAND (AUGUST 4, 2025) (THE BOTANICAL GARDEN OF THE UNIVERSITY OF WARSAW-Access all) (MUTE)

3. TIMELAPSE OF AMORPHOPHALLUS TITANUM PLANT BLOOMING

WARSAW, POLAND (AUGUST 5, 2025) (REUTERS-Access all)

4. (SOUNDBITE) (Polish) CURATOR OF THE GREENHOUSE PLANT COLLECTION AT THE UNIVERSITY OF WARSAW BOTANICAL GARDEN PIOTR DOBRZYNSKI, SAYING:

“It attracts crowds because of this uniqueness. It's not easy for everyone to travel to the island of Sumatra to see this plant in its natural habitat, but thanks to botanical gardens, that opportunity becomes possible.”

5. VISITORS TAKING PHOTOS

6. VARIOUS OF VISITORS LOOKING AT PLANT

7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) 27-YEAR-OLD VISITOR, PETER OGAROK, SAYING:

“I was planning to spend the day in Gdansk, maybe to swim in the sea. To do all the stuff people usually do in Gdansk in summer. But, then my wife told me that this guy is blooming, so I said to hell with that, let’s go here.”

8. PLANT

9. (SOUNDBITE) (English) 27-YEAR-OLD VISITOR, PETER OGAROK, SAYING:

“I read about that it smells like rotten corpses, like something like this, but you know… I haven’t really smelled rotten corpses before in my life.”

10. PLANT

11. (SOUNDBITE) (English) 27-YEAR-OLD VISITOR, PETER OGAROK, SAYING:

“Probably if you smell, I don't know, rotting meat or some rotting food it would smell like that.”

12. PLANT

13. (SOUNDBITE) (Polish) BIOLOGIST, JUSTYNA KIERAT AND BOTANIST KAJA NOWAKOWSKA, SAYING:

JUSTYNA: "You can really smell it now as you walk in."

KAJA: "Yes, you can already smell it all around — there’s a faint note in the air."

14. VISITORS CROWDED IN ROOM WITH PLANT

15. (SOUNDBITE) (Polish) BIOLOGIST, JUSTYNA KIERAT AND BOTANIST KAJA NOWAKOWSKA, SAYING:

KAJA: "It smells like decomposition."

JUSTYNA: 'And more plant-like than we expected."

KAJA: "Yes, like compost with a hint of animal decay."

16. PEOPLE ENTERING ROOM WITH PLANT

17. SIGN WITH DRAWING OF PLANT

18. PEOPLE LOOKING AT PLANT