A “corpse flower” named Maladora began releasing its pungent aroma of decaying flesh Tuesday afternoon at the U. California Botanical Garden at Berkeley and will be in full bloom Wednesday, according to garden officials.

Maladora — a titan arum plant known to emit the stench of a rotting corpse when in bloom — began to unfurl at about 2 p.m. Tuesday and is expected to be swarming with both flies and spectators by Wednesday.

“Imagine having a dead cow in your house,” said Paul Licht, garden director.

The full bloom and the odor will only last about one or two days before the flower is pollinated and collapses. Years will go by before the plant will bloom again, according to Muinat Kemi Amin, the garden’s marketing and membership analyst. Typically, the plant requires about seven years of age before it blooms.

The plant releases the foul odor to attract insects for pollination.

“It’s pretty popular because of the size, the way it looks and the smell,” Kemi said.

Maladora is currently about 44.5 inches in height and is expected to grow more in width and height before its collapse sometime Wednesday or Thursday, Amin said. Trudy, the corpse flower which bloomed last year, grew to be over 71 inches tall.

The garden houses about 12 titan arums and at least one blooms each year, Amin said. The plants are native to Sumatra, Indonesia and the garden planted their first corpse flower seeds in 1995, according to Licht.

The spectacle can be seen and smelled by visitors when the garden’s Tropical House opens at 9 a.m. Wednesday. An exclusive event for members will be held from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m.