'Stinking and stunning' corpse flower blooms at Edmonton's Muttart Conservatory

A rare, exotic plant known for its putrid bouquet has bloomed inside the pyramids of Edmonton's Muttart Conservatory.

The corpse flower bloomed overnight Thursday, emitting a putrid odour of discarded diapers, rotting meat and hot garbage.

And with its new, massive bloom, the flower has been given an official name, Gagnes.

"Gagnes the corpse flower has opened," Sarah Birmingham, the Muttart's lead grower, said Friday morning.  

"It opened in the night last night and is standing 70 inches tall.

"It's stunning and stinky." 

The bloom is a smell-it-while-you-can experience.

The Amorphophallus titanum flower, native to the jungles of Indonesia, is a rare sight.

The plant can go five or 10 years between blooms, and the stench is supposed to last only one day as the short-lived blossom unfurls and quickly begins to decompose.

• 'Stinky friend' of Putrella the corpse flower ready to bloom at Muttart Conservatory

The Muttart received the plant with a handful of other tubers when it first acquired Putrella, its most famous corpse flower.

The name Gagnes was selected by Muttart staff. Conservatory staff sought suggestions from the public earlier this week, and the corpse flower proved a potent muse.

Some of the most notable name suggestions to the Muttart include, Nicholas put me in a Cage, Planty le Peu, Stench Eastwood and Stankasaurous Rank.

CBC morning show Edmonton AM also asked listeners for their suggestions and the crew came up with a list of their favourites including Dame Judy Stench, Horgan's Gas, Cinder-smella, Smell-anie Griffith and Odourolla.

If you want to stop and smell the flower, the Muttart Conservatory is at 9626 96a St. in Cloverdale.