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    Chanel at San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers Produces Massive, Pungent Bloom

    Chanel on the morning of the third full day after blooming

    Credit for Images: San Francisco Bay Times and the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers

    A rite of summer in San Francisco every three to five years is the blooming of one of the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers’ Amorphophallus titanum (“misshapen penis”) plants. Often this happens a few weeks before Pride, but this year, Chanel waited until the 4th of July to cycle into bloom mode. By the evening of July 8, Chanel was unfurling their blood-hued spathe and releasing a stench that literally caused some visitors to gag. Others have come to appreciate the odor that, like a fine wine, leads to many descriptions: a well-seasoned steak ready for the grill, old gym socks, strong cheese, dog poop, or other distinctive scents.

    Chanel on the first day of blooming, starting to open up

    The plant is human sized and oozing with sex. From its Latin name inspired by the giant yellow spadix that stands erect before flopping over after the momentous bloom, to its thousands of cream-colored male flowers and thousands of pink-hued female flowers, Amorphophallus titanum is a seductive marvel of nature. The spathe envelops the flowers, with the female ones opening up before the male flowers to avoid self-pollination.

    • A closeup of Chanel showing the folds of the spathe with the central yellow spadix
    • At this stage, the staff at the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers knew that Chanel would develop into a bloom and not another leaf-growing cycle.

    The plant’s life cycle starts with a seed from one of the fruits resulting from the pollination. The seed develops into a tuber, which looks like an enormous potato. It produces a single leaf that resembles a tall spotted palm tree. The plant will go through at least two leaf-growing cycles, with photosynthesis producing energy that is stored in the tuber. It can take around three to ten years for the plant to store enough energy to result in the flower cycle that includes the “bloom” or the unfurling of the spathe. The bloom and its odor only last for a few days, so there is always a rush for fans of this Sumatran native to see the spectacle.

    What appears to be a palm tree is actually a single leaf of an Amorphophallus titanum that was part of the display at the San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers with Chanel in bloom (seen in the background). The plant will go through at least two leaf growing cycles before it blooms.

    This year’s bloom was particularly pungent, such that Chanel could be smelled throughout nearly all rooms of the conservatory. Will Scarlet or Mirage be next? Those two plants bloomed in earlier years and, with their tubers saved, are in their leaf-growing cycles now, readying for their next moment in the summer spotlight.

    https://gggp.org/conservatory-of-flowers/

    Published on July 17, 2025