Thousands of people have already tuned in to a livestream to watch the grand premiere of an endangered plant in Australia that is known as the “corpse flower” due to its foul stench.
Only once every several years does the giant arum plant, which is kept at Sydney’s Royal Botanic Gardens, bloom for a full day.
Known affectionately as Putricia, it will emit a stench that is like “rotting possum flesh, hot cat food, or wet socks.”
Thousands of people commented “WWTF” or “We Watch the Flower” in the livestream’s chat, a unique vernacular that has been developed by the long wait to witness Putricia fully unfold.
Over 8,000 people watched the video simultaneously on Thursday, and as the plant’s look gradually altered, that number quickly doubled.
