Niagara Parks Floral Showhouse

A Pan Am and Parapan Am Games Tribute

One day to go until the opening ceremonies of the Pan Am Games begin in Toronto! With 40 countries and territories of the Americas participating in the Pan Am Games, Canada is a proud host once again (Winnipeg hosted games back in 1967 and 1999). The 2015 Games are predicted to be the largest multi-sport event to be held in Canada (double the size of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver). Fifteen host cities from Welland to Hamilton, Oshawa and Minden across Southern Ontario will welcome teams and athletes in addition to the major events being held in Toronto.

In the Niagara Region, the Royal Canadian Henley Rowing Course in St. Catharines, Ontario will host the rowing competition and the Flatwater Centre in Welland will house the Sprint Canoeing competitions.  Nearby at the Niagara Parks Floral Showhouse, a floral tribute to the Pan Am and Parapan Am games has been created to recognize the importance of the event and show support for all the athletes, coaches, families and fans.

The Niagara Parks Floral Showhouse is located just south of the Horseshoe Falls in Niagara Falls, Ontario Canada

The Niagara Parks Floral Showhouse is located just south of the Horseshoe Falls in Niagara Falls, Ontario Canada.

To acknowledge the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games rowing events that will be taking place in St. Catharines, the Floral Showhouse included real oars in their summer floral display.

To acknowledge the Pan Am and Parapan Am Games rowing events that will be taking place in nearby St. Catharines, Ontario, the Floral Showhouse included real oars in their summer floral display.

The Men's and Women's Football/Soccer competition for the Pan Am Games is recognized at the Niagara Parks Floral Showhouse with balls ready for goal scoring among the tropical plants.

The men’s and women’s Football/Soccer competition for the Pan Am Games is recognized at the Niagara Parks Floral Showhouse with balls ready for goal scoring among the tropical plants.

A surprise greets visitors to the Floral Showhouse when they see a real pommel horse on display among the tropical plants.

A surprise greets visitors at the Floral Showhouse when they see a real pommel horse on display among the tropical plants. The Pan Am Games gymnastic events start on July 11th.

A Niagara Parks Floral Showhouse tribute to the Pan Am Cycling competitions which include BMX, Mountain Biking, Road and Track.

The Niagara Parks Floral Showhouse tribute to the Pan Am Cycling competitions which include BMX, Mountain Biking, Road and Track categories.

Admission to the Niagara Parks Floral Showhouse is $5.00 for adults and $3.75 for children (6-12 years) + tax. The Floral Showhouse is open from 9:30 am to 5:00 pm daily. The Pan Am and Parapan Am tribute and Summer Show runs through mid-August.

Titan Arum Blooms Again at the Niagara Parks Floral Showhouse, June 2015

Clive is blooming! Again!
The flower started to open about 7:00 pm on Saturday, June 20th with the spathe unfurling to reveal a beautiful maroon colour inside. After watching the bud grow taller and swell expectantly for over a month, the opening was a bit of a surprise because it happened so fast.  Looking at the live webcam at first didn’t seem like it could be happening. But it was true. Clive, one of the largest Titan Arums at the Floral Showhouse was blooming again. Arriving at the Floral Showhouse would first reveal an olfactory assault – more confirmation that Clive was indeed blooming. And second, there was visual proof!

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Titan Arum Clive as the spathe is unfurling on opening night.

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Clive in full bloom on Sunday, June 21, 2015

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was 2012 when Clive bloomed last. The final height at blooming today was recorded at 84 inches (2.13 m). And yes, the Corpse Flower name really does apply to this flower. As Clive opened, the putrid smell of decaying flesh got more intense – especially when climbing a ladder to get a top down photo!

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Wayne Hoeschle, Titan Arum curator cross pollinating Clive on opening night.

 

 

The female flowers can be seen when peeking through a cut out window of the Titan Arum blooming at Niagara Parks. Male pollen from Ohio State's Titan Arum was used to cross pollinate the flower.

The female flowers can be seen through a cut out window of the Titan Arum bloom at Niagara Parks. Male pollen from McMaster’s Titan Arum that bloomed June 3, 2015 was used to cross pollinate the flower this morning in the hopes the Clive will produce seed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The plant, Amorphophallus titanum, called the Titan Arum or Corpse Plant, is one of six dormant corms donated to Niagara Parks by Louis Ricciardiello of Gilford, New Hampshire, in December 2011. Titan Arum specimen #1, nicknamed “Morph,” bloomed for the first time at Niagara Parks on May 4th, 2012. At blooming the flower was an incredible height of 244 cm (96 inches). After the Titan Arums bloom,  they go dormant for months, and then send up a huge leaf that measures 6 m (20 feet) tall. That leaf soaks up the sun for a year or more and, with the copious amounts of water and fertilizer, puts nutrients back into the underground corm to hopefully return it to blooming size. A blooming size corm weighs an impressive 80 kg (175 lbs) and is about 70 cm (27 inches) in diameter.

For the latest news on the Titan Arum bloom visit the Niagara Parks Facebook Page or the Miracle Farm Blueprint.

Take a look at the Titan Arum live webcam on the Niagara Parks Floral Showhouse website for the latest flower view.

The Titan Arum at the Floral Showhouse, May 2014

Update on May 28th.

Morph is blooming!
The flower started to open about 9:00 pm on May 27th with the spathe unfurling to reveal a beautiful maroon colour inside. By the next morning, the full glory of the spathe could be seen.

The Titan Arum in full bloom at 8:00 am on May 28th, 2014 at the Niagara Parks Floral Showhouse.

The Titan Arum in full bloom at 8:00 am on May 28th, 2014 at the Niagara Parks Floral Showhouse.

The final height at blooming was recorded at 96 inches (2.4 m). And yes, the Corpse Flower name really does apply to this flower. As Morph opened, the putrid smell of decaying flesh got more intense – especially when climbing a ladder to get a top down photo!

The female flowers can be seen when peeking through a cut out window of the Titan Arum blooming at Niagara Parks. Male pollen from Ohio State's Titan Arum was used to cross pollinate the flower.

The female flowers can be seen through a cut out window of the Titan Arum bloom at Niagara Parks. Male pollen from Ohio State’s Titan Arum was used to cross pollinate the flower this morning in the hopes the Morph will produce seed.

Morph, the Niagara Parks Titan Arum beginning to bloom on May 27th, 2014 at 11:30 pm.

Morph, one of the Niagara Parks’ Titan Arums beginning to bloom on May 27th, 2014 at 11:30 pm.

Update on May 27th.

Morph is now 91 inches tall (2.3 m) and is going to bloom any day now! The outer sheath has fallen away and the frilly spathe can now be clearly seen as well as the “squished French bread” spadix.

The Titan Arum just before it blooms at the Niagara Parks Floral Showhouse on May 27th, 2014

The Titan Arum just before it blooms at the Niagara Parks Floral Showhouse on May 27th, 2014

 

Posted May 18, 2014

One of the Titan Arums at Niagara Parks is about to bloom again.  The plant, Amorphophallus titanum, called the Titan Arum or Corpse Plant, is one of six dormant corms donated to Niagara Parks by Louis Ricciardiello of Gilford, New Hampshire, in December 2011. Titan Arum specimen #1, nicknamed “Morph”, bloomed for the first time at Niagara Parks on May 4th, 2012. At blooming the flower was an incredible height of 244 cm (96 inches). After it bloomed, Morph went dormant for five months, and then in October 2012 it grew a huge leaf that measured 6 m (20 feet) tall. That leaf soaked up the sun for a year and, with the copious amounts of water and fertilizer, put nutrients back into the underground corm to hopefully return it to blooming size. The plant went dormant, and during the winter of 2013-2014 it was repotted. At that time, the corm weighed an impressive 80 kg (175 lbs) and was 68 cm (27 inches) in diameter. Now, in May 2014, after a two year wait the Titan Arum is sending up a beautiful flower bud.

The anticipation is building as Morph’s new shoot gets measured every day by Wayne Hoeschle, its caretaker. The shoot is growing between 3 and 6 inches every day and is expected to bloom in about a week.  As of this morning, May 22nd, 2014 Wayne reports that Morph is 200 cm (79 inches) tall.

The two pictures below were taken May 18th at 65 inches in height.

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For the latest news on the Titan Arum bloom visit the Niagara Parks Facebook Page

Take a look at the Titan Arum live webcam on the Niagara Parks Floral Showhouse website for the latest flower bud view.
The Hydrangea Show, May 2014

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The Hydrangea Show at the Niagara Parks Floral Showhouse

In May the floral show is all pinks, blues, purple and white in the Floral Showhouse during the Hydrangea Show.

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IMG_2761The Hydrangea Show at the Niagara Parks Floral Showhouse features hydrangeas (naturally), delphiniums, foxgloves and fuchsia. A beautiful combination of calming pinks, blues and white blooms.

The Niagara Parks Floral Showhouse is just south of the Falls on the Niagara Parkway, in Niagara Falls, Ontario Canada. More details are at the Niagara Parks website.

The Easter Show April, 2014

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Easter and Spring are centre stage in the Floral Showhouse at Niagara Parks!

 

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More than just plants, birds and turtles… chicks (and bunnies) too!

The Niagara Parks Floral Showhouse is just south of the Falls on the Niagara Parkway. More details are at the Niagara Parks website.