A rare plant known as the corpse flower bloomed in Sydney on Friday for the first time in more than a decade, emitting an odour likened to rotting flesh and delighting thousands who queued for a whiff.

The blooming of a giant corpse flower in Sydney has become an event with thousands flocking to see it at the Royal Botanic Garden and hundreds of thousands following it online. But why are so many people interested in this five-foot-tall flower that gives off the stench of death?

Staff at the gardens revealed they considered putting vomit bags in the room, where crowds lined up to get a whiff of what many have described as a "rotting" smell.