May 25, 2018 12:20 pm

Gagnus, Edmonton’s new corpse flower, is in bloom at Muttart Conservatory

By Karen Bartko Online Journalist Global News

Gagnus, the second stinky Amorphophallus titanum or "corpse flower" at Edmonton's Muttart Conservatory, went into bloom Friday morning. May 25, 2018.

Credit: City of Edmonton

A A

Listen

Edmonton’s newest corpse flower now has a name — just in time too, because the stinky plant is in bloom.

“Our previously unnamed corpse flower, now known as Gagnus — like Agnes with a G! — bloomed late last night at a height of 70 inches/177 cm/5’10”,” Edmonton’s Muttart Conservatory shared on Facebook Friday morning.

Gagnus 1 — Gagnus, the second stinky Amorphophallus titanum or “corpse flower” at Edmonton’s Muttart Conservatory, went into bloom Friday morning. May 25, 2018.
Credit: City of Edmonton

Gagnus 2 — Gagnus, the second stinky Amorphophallus titanum or “corpse flower” at Edmonton’s Muttart Conservatory, went into bloom Friday morning. May 25, 2018.
Credit: City of Edmonton

The Amorphophallus titanum is about eight years old and is the younger cousin of Putrella, the infamous stinky flower that has bloomed three times in the past five years.

Story continues below

Putrella became the first corpse flower to bloom in Western Canada in April 2013. The event generated much hype and excitement, and a record 8,800 people visited over the course of the week. The Muttart extended its hours then as well, to allow as many people as possible to experience the bloom.

The Muttart said Gagnus will likely stay in bloom for 24 to 48 hours. The conservatory in the river valley will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday (regular admission applies) for those curious to take a whiff of the plant’s unique smell.

The Amorphophallus titanum, found in the wild in Sumatra, Indonesia, is both beautiful and nasty. When in bloom, its large purple flower emits an odour like rotting meat, which attracts pollinators such as carrion beetles.

Putrella, the infamous stinky Amorphophallus titanum, or “corpse flower,” has a younger cousin which has made its debut at Edmonton’s Muttart Conservatory.

Credit: City of Edmonton

Due to its enormous size, a massive amount of time and energy is needed for a corpse flower to bloom, the city’s website said. Because of this, it goes through years of growth and dormancy stages.

When the plant has finally stored enough energy, it sends out a bud. It grows six inches per day during its peak growth period, then the growth slows to half an inch to an inch per day before stopping completely.

Within approximately six weeks, the bud turns into an enormous bloom that lasts only a day or two.

After blooming, the plant will collapse and restart its cycle of growth and dormancy. A corpse flower’s bloom is rare and unpredictable. It could be months or years until Gagnus — or Putrella, for that matter — bloom again.

WATCH: Putrella is nauseating, rancid and it’s attracting thousands of people to the Muttart Conservatory. Fletcher Kent filed this story in 2015.