The Muttart Conservatory () is a

botanical garden A botanical garden or botanic gardenThe terms ''botanic'' and ''botanical'' and ''garden'' or ''gardens'' are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word ''botanic'' is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens, an ...

located in the North Saskatchewan river

valley A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains, which will typically contain a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams ove ...

, across from the downtown core in

Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city an ...

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest T ...

, Canada. One of the best-known landmarks of Edmonton, the conservatory consists of three city-operated greenhouses, public gardens, as well as four feature pyramids for display of plant species found across three biomes, with the fourth pyramid hosting a seasonal display. A fifth minor skylight pyramid lights up the central foyer. A donation from the Gladys and Merrill Muttart Foundation provided momentum for the conservatory's construction, with the remaining funding supplied by the Government of Alberta and the City of Edmonton. The conservatory is staffed and operated by the Edmonton Parks and Recreation Department.

Architecture

The conservatory's unusual structure, designed by architect Peter Hemingway, is composed of four glassed

pyramids A pyramid (from el, πυραμίς ') is a structure whose outer surfaces are triangular and converge to a single step at the top, making the shape roughly a pyramid in the geometric sense. The base of a pyramid can be trilateral, quadrilate ...

built around a central service core. The two larger pyramids are in area, and the two medium-sized ones are in size. Three of the pyramids are devoted to displays of plants from the tropical, temperate, and arid regions respectively, the fourth being used for shows that change with the seasons and which feature massed displays of ornamental flowering plants.

Biomes

The Temperate pyramid houses plants typical of temperate climates, from such zones as the southern

Great Lakes The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes in the mid-east region of North America that connect to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence River. There are five lakes ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands. With an area of , Australia is the largest country by ...

, and even the mountainous areas of

Asia Asia (, ) is one of the world's most notable geographical regions, which is either considered a continent in its own right or a subcontinent of Eurasia, which shares the continental landmass of Afro-Eurasia with Africa. Asia covers an are ...

. Near the entrance and fed by a stream is a bog area, with white water lilies and parrot's feather. The bog merges into a woodland with mostly eastern deciduous trees and low shrubs but including redwoods, cedars, and

pampas grass Pampas grass or pampas-grass is a common name which may refer to any of several similar-looking, tall-growing species of grass: * Species of '' Cortaderia'' including: :* ''Cortaderia selloana'' and its selected cultivars :* ''Cortaderia jubata'' ( ...

Eucalyptus ''Eucalyptus'' () is a genus of over seven hundred species of flowering trees, shrubs or mallees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Along with several other genera in the tribe Eucalypteae, including '' Corymbia'', they are commonly known as ...

trees and flowering shrubs complement the Australian section. In the woodland floor and alpine section are many tiny flowering plants, some native to Alberta and others from all over the world. Carefully controlled environmental conditions allow the plants to go dormant in winter and burst into spring growth of green leaves and colourful blooms. The plants from the Arid pyramid come from hot and cold dry areas spanning five continents. They share an ability to thrive in environments with dry air, irregular moisture and wide day/night temperature fluctuations. In spring 2013, the Arid Pyramid featured an Agave Americana plant bloom which reached a height of 30 feet before reaching the top of the pyramid. This plant was planted a year after the Muttart Conservatory first opened. The Tropical pyramid provides an enormous diversity of species; under a canopy of tall palms, banana and weeping fig are orchids, various hibiscus and the bird of paradise. The plants come from tropical rainforests, evergreen forests or grasslands, and are often showy and bright. A waterfall cascades into the centre of the pyramid where small fish and water lilies make their home. This pyramid has also been home in the past to a kiwi bird and a sloth. On March 11, 2013, the bud to an imported

Amorphophallus titanum ''Amorphophallus'' (from Ancient Greek , "without form, misshapen" + ''phallos'', " penis", referring to the shape of the prominent spadix) is a large genus of some 200 tropical and subtropical tuberous herbaceous plants from the ''Arum'' famil ...

plant (commonly known as the corpse flower) budded and bloomed here on April 22. The ''Feature pyramid'' offers seasonal displays that change several times per year, focusing on themed displays and seasonal celebrations. Other amenities at the facility are an outdoor gazebo, gift shop, and the Culina Muttart Café. The café serves several menu items made with locally sourced ingredients, including herbs and salad greens grown on-site at the greenhouse. The facility, owned and operated by the City of

, is also a popular site for special events, such as

wedding A wedding is a ceremony where two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnic groups, religions, countries, and social classes. Most wedding ceremonies involve an exchange of marriage vo ...

s. The conservatory underwent a $6.3 million renovation that was completed in June 2009.

Picture gallery

File:Muttart Conservatories Edmonton Alberta Canada 11A.jpg, Dawn at the Muttart Conservatory File:Muttart Conservatories Edmonton Alberta Canada 20A.jpg, Muttart Conservatory with downtown Edmonton in distance File:Muttart Conservatory Edmonton Alberta Canada 01.jpg, Pyramid buildings of the Muttart Conservatory File:Muttart.jpg, Muttart Conservatory from north side of North Saskatchewan River File:Muttart Conservatories Edmonton Alberta Canada 13A.jpg, The Muttart Conservatory File:Amorphophallus Flower 0155a.jpg, ''

'' flower at Muttart, 2015 File:Muttart Camphor.jpg, A camphor tree in the tropical section.

References

External links

* {{Authority control Botanical gardens in Canada Buildings and structures in Edmonton Tourist attractions in Edmonton Greenhouses in Canada Pyramids in Canada 1976 establishments in Alberta

Architecture

Biomes

See also

Picture gallery

References

External links