We Watch The Flower

“We Watch the Flower”: The Fascinating Wait for a Stinky Bloom

In an unexpected corner of the internet, thousands of viewers are tuning in for an unusual live event: the rare and much-anticipated bloom of the “corpse flower” in Australia. Known for its overpowering stench, this endangered plant is captivating audiences across the globe as it slowly prepares to unfurl in the Royal Botanic Gardens of Sydney.

The titan arum, affectionately nicknamed Putricia by the staff, blooms only once every few years—and when it does, it lasts a mere 24 hours. But in that brief window, it releases a smell so intense, it’s been compared to “wet socks, hot cat food, or rotting possum flesh”—not exactly a fragrance that will have you rushing to take a deep breath.

While the plant stands still, looming in front of a brown curtain, anticipation builds online. Viewers, many of whom have been watching for days, have developed their own unique lingo and inside jokes in the livestream’s chat. “WWTF,” or “We Watch the Flower,” is a popular rallying cry, while others use acronyms like “WDNRP” (We Do Not Rush Putricia) and “BBTB” (Blessed Be The Bloom).

Though there’s little to see—aside from the occasional visitor taking selfies with the towering plant—the wait is a spectacle in itself. Comments like, “I’m back again to see how Putricia is going… She’s still taking her time like the queen she is,” and “This is the slowest burlesque ever,” fill the chat with humor and patience. One viewer joked, “Overnight I watched, fell asleep, awoke, watched, fell asleep. I am weak, but Putricia is strong. WWTF.”

The excitement grows as the moment of bloom draws near. When it finally opens, the plant will reveal its vibrant maroon spathe—a massive, skirt-like structure that encircles the spadix, a large spike in the center. But exactly when this will happen is anyone’s guess; the Gardens have admitted it’s “hard to predict.”

Native to the rainforests of Sumatra, Indonesia, the corpse flower, or bunga bangkai as it’s known locally, is a rare and endangered species, threatened by deforestation. Its scientific name, Amorphophallus titanum, translates to “giant, misshapen penis,” a fitting description for the plant’s unusual appearance. It is the world’s largest flowering structure, capable of reaching up to 3 meters (10 feet) tall and weighing as much as 150 kilograms, with hundreds of small flowers hidden within its enormous spadix.

This isn’t the first time a titan arum has bloomed in Australia; there have been other recent blooms in botanic gardens in Melbourne and Adelaide, each attracting curious crowds eager to experience the infamous smell firsthand. And across the globe, places like London’s Kew Gardens have hosted their own floral events, with one plant blooming there just last year.

But no matter where they are, there’s something undeniably captivating about this rare spectacle. As the world waits for Putricia’s moment to shine—and stink—we can all agree on one thing: the internet has never been so focused on a flower.