Stinky plant draws crowds

PEOPLE queued up at the gates of the Dunedin Botanic Garden to take a whiff of the city’s famously stinky plant.

About 50 people were already lined up at 8am on Saturday to check out the corpse plant (Amorphophallus titanum), which began to flower on Friday for just the second time.

It first bloomed in 2018. Thousands of people turned out to see the plant, whose odour has been compared to that of rotting flesh, on Friday, and thousands more had been expected over the weekend.

Among Saturday’s sightseers were Karolle Gjaltema and her husband Hadyn Olsen, who were visiting Dunedin from Nelson.

Mr Olsen said they read about the plant online and decided to check it out.

‘‘It’s almost otherworldly, like a space plant.’’

The plant is on display in the Winter Garden Glasshouse, and viewing hours have been extended to 8am8pm to cater for the expected strong demand.

The plant was given to the botanic garden in 2008.

PHOTO: CHRISTINE O’CONNOR Pong! Checking out the corpse plant, although not particularly enjoying the smell, at the Dunedin Botanic Gardens on Saturday were Suliya (5, left) and Sarina (7) Li, of Dunedin.