At the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe, a titan arum nicknamed Alice began to unfurl on Monday, July 13, 2026, flooding the semitropical greenhouse with the giant plant’s infamous rotten-flesh odor. The spectacle is brief, as these blooms typically last only about a day, but it pulls in crowds of curious visitors and plant obsessives while it is going. Horticulturists say titan arums spend years bulking up before a single bloom, then heat and scent themselves for a short, dramatic show meant to lure night-time pollinators.
The garden announced the bloom Monday morning, according to NBC Chicago. The station reports that the plant, known to staff as Alice, will likely remain open for roughly 24 to 36 hours and can stand six to eight feet tall when fully unfurled.
Staffers note that the bloom is powered by stored starch in a massive underground corm, which lets the arum heat its spadix and “blast out its scent” in a single, hours-long burst, per the Chicago Botanic Garden. The Garden's Titan Arum FAQ explains that the bloom cycle is fast and unpredictable, and that these plants typically flower only after years of growth.
Why It Smells So Bad
The smell is a chemical cocktail of sulfides, isovaleric acid, and other volatile compounds that mimic rotting meat and lure carrion beetles and flesh flies, according to National Geographic. The bloom can also warm toward body temperature to help vaporize those molecules and make the scent more convincing to insect visitors.
Seeing Alice
Because the window is short, gardeners advise moving quickly. The bloom often peaks overnight and is usually finished within about 24 to 36 hours, the Garden notes. For viewing details and any schedule updates, check the Chicago Botanic Garden Titan Arum page before you head out.
