Crowds expected as corpse flower blooms in Adelaide

The foul-smelling corpse flower has begun to bloom at the Adelaide Botanic Gardens.

The peculiar plant started sharing its rotting flesh-like scent last night, and will continue to do so for another 48 hours.

It’s the first time the endangered flower has blossomed in nearly 10 years, and it will be another three to five years before it does so again.

The foul-smelling "Corpse Flower" has begun to bloom at the Botanic Garden in Adelaide.The peculiar plant started sharing its rotting flesh-like scent last night, and will continue to do so for another 48 hours. — The foul-smelling “Corpse Flower” has begun to bloom at the Botanic Garden in Adelaide.The peculiar plant started sharing its rotting flesh-like scent last night, and will continue to do so for another 48 hours. (Facebook)

Experts had warned the blooming was imminent, and announced the update on Facebook.

“Our Titan Arum aka Corpse Flower has progressed significantly in the past few hours, and it has decided that NOW is the time to show off its beautiful inflorescence,” it said.

“Throughout the night, the plant will begin to pulse its stinky smell as it seeks to attract pollinators to its flowers hidden at the base of the plant.

“It’s scent is most potent in the first 24 hours of the bloom, so if you want to experience this rare botanical phenomenon, you will need to act quickly.”

The Indonesian flower’s smell has made it notorious amongst plant enthusiasts, with the last blooming season attracting 10,000 people trying to catch the famous stench.

Visitors can burn their nostrils and visit the flower until 9pm today or tomorrow.