An endangered plant known as the “corpse flower” for its putrid stink is about to bloom in Australia – and captivated the internet in the process, with thousands already tuned in to a livestream ahead of its grand debut.
The titan arum plant, housed in the Royal Botanic Gardens of Sydney, blooms only once every few years for just 24 hours.
Affectionately dubbed Putricia, it will release a smell described as “wet socks, hot cat food, or rotting possum flesh”.
The long wait and uncertainty as to when Putricia will bloom – has spawned jokes and even a unique lingo in the livestream’s chat, with thousands commenting “WWTF”, or “We Watch the Flower”.
The current view is not much: Putricia stands silent and tall in front of a brown curtain, comfortably ensconced behind a red velvet rope. Occasionally, a visitor pops into the frame as they snap a selfie with the plant.
But once she blooms, viewers can expect to see Putricia unfold a vibrant maroon or crimson skirt, known as a spathe, around her spadix which is the large spike in the middle of the plant.
The Gardens have said it is “hard to predict exactly when” Putricia will bloom, but that has not stopped the thousands gathered online.
“I’m back again to see how Putricia is going and I can see she’s still taking her time like the queen she is, fair play,” wrote one commenter. “This is the slowest burlesque ever,” said another.
Yet another person wrote: “Overnight I watched, fell asleep, awoke, watched, fell asleep. I am weak, but Putricia is strong. WWTF.”
Other popular acronyms among viewers are WDNRP (We Do Not Rush Putricia) and BBTB (Blessed Be The Bloom).

While Tolkien’s stories take place in the fictional realm of Middle-earth, the awe-inspiring landscapes of the books, films and TV shows are closer than you might imagine.

The first book in J R R Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Fellowship of the Ring, was released 70 years ago, in the summer of 1954. However, that’s not the only recent milestone for Tolkien’s legendarium: the second season of the epic TV series, The Rings of Power, was released on 29 August 2024.
As befits the ultimate epic fantasy series, the settings are gorgeous, ranging from bucolic, rolling countryside to plunging valleys and desolate deserts. And while Tolkien’s stories take place in the fictional realm of Middle-earth, the awe-inspiring landscapes of the books, films and TV shows are not as otherworldly as you might imagine. Many of them are based on real-world locations and visiting them brings to life both the landscapes themselves and the imaginary worlds they inspired Tolkien to create.

They combine outdoor pursuits and mental health support for anyone who wants to improve their wellbeing, with or without a diagnosis.

At the top of a hill in England’s Peak District, life coach Zaidha Roscoe leads our group in an exercise to ground us in the present moment and find a sense of calm. “Focus on five things you can see, four you can touch, three you can hear, two you can smell and one you can taste,” she says. I notice cheery-neon hiking clothes against a cornflower-blue sky. Brush my fingers along the feathery grass. Tune in to a duet of chirping birds. Smell the crisp autumn air. And bite into nutty trail mix.
It’s the first of several mindfulness and nature connection activities we will do on this six-mile hike through Chatsworth Estate with Mind Over Mountains. The organisation hosts free wellbeing walks and low-cost weekend retreats led by mountain guides and qualified counsellors or coaches at national parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty across the UK. It’s one of a few organisations – including Blackdog Outdoors in the UK and Hiking My Feelings in the US – that combine outdoor pursuits and mental health support for anyone who wants to improve their wellbeing, with or without a diagnosis.
These organisations fill a canyon-sized gap in the outdoor and wellness spaces. Half of the world’s population will develop a mental health disorder in their lifetime. But while many places offer self-care activities such as yoga or forest bathing, these programmes rarely foster an atmosphere that encourages confiding to your instructor about your depression or chatting with fellow participants about grief. So, many people may feel isolated and unsupported in these settings.