Son of Stinky

When the gigantic Amorphophallus titanum -- also known as the corpse flower -- bloomed at the Huntington Botanical Gardens in 1999, nearly 76,000 people lined up in the August heat in San Marino to get a whiff of the foul-smelling plant. It was only the 11th such bloom recorded in the United States in 100 years. Now its offspring is getting ready to make its debut. Propagated from seed produced by the 1999 flower, Son of Stinky will bloom any day, experts say. Amorphophallus titanum, or titan arum, can reach more than 6 feet tall when it blooms, opening to a diameter of up to 4 feet. But scent, not size, is its claim to fame. Who needs roses when a flower can smell like rotting flesh? Track the flower: www.huntington.org.

-- Lisa Boone