Meet Stripes, the 10-foot-tall floral tiger at Hamilton City Hall

Published May 31, 2023 at 2:39 pm

Stripes Floral Sculpture - Photo Provided

Prepare to be captivated by a grrreat sight as you stroll past City Hall in downtown Hamilton. A 10-foot tiger has ‘clawed’ its way into the building’s premises and is here to stay until the end of summer, according to a social media post by the City.

“Stripes,” the tiger sculpture, is based on the beloved Tiger-Cats mascot, proudly showcasing Hamilton’s cherished football team. It’s comprised of over 2,000 individual plants, with an additional 984 plants in the football for the mascot to play with.

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“We were inspired this year (as) the Hamilton Ticats are hosting the Grey Cup and we wanted to boost up the excitement around the Grey Cup, ” Robyn Pollard, Manager of Forestry and Horticulture, told intheHammer.com.

Every few years, the Hamilton horticulture team puts together an elaborate floral display and has been working over the last few months to put together and paint the current display.

The sculpture primarily features Bronco Carex grass, adorned with spray paint to create the iconic yellow and black stripes reminiscent of the Tiger-Cats’ colours.

Behind the scenes pictures provided by the City of Hamilton

“Although the actual colour is gold, we’ve used quite a bit of spray paint to achieve the signature Ticat look,” Pollard added.

The team will also add a goalpost to this display tomorrow (Jun 1). As visitors stroll past City Hall, they will be greeted by the immense presence of Stripes, a symbol of Hamilton’s spirit and passion for its sports teams.

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