Family: Nymphaeaceae
Scientific name: Victoria amazonica
Common name: Victoria Water Lily
Origin: Amazon

The Victoria water lily is the largest water lily in the world with leaves up to 2 meters wide. The 5-10 cm high edge allows the leaves to bear a weight of 40 kg without sinking. The flowers, up to 40 cm in size, bloom for two nights: the first night they are white and give off a pineapple-like scent to attract beetles for pollination. The next morning, the flowers close, trapping the beetles for a day and allowing them to cover themselves completely with pollen. The second night the flowers open again, turning them pink. The pollen-laden beetles leave the flower and pollinate other flowers. The next morning the flowers sink under water, after which the seeds can ripen. During flowering, the flowers are heated by the plant, so that they reach a higher temperature than the environment: a special property for plants.
The plant originally grows in stagnant water in the Amazon region and requires a water temperature of 27 to 30 degrees Celsius. Because the plant also requires a lot of space, you need a large heated pond to be able to cultivate this plant. As a result, the species can almost only be found in botanical gardens, for example in Leiden (Victoria greenhouse) and Amsterdam (outdoor pond). In a heated outdoor pond, the species can be kept as an annual and in a greenhouse it can also grow as a perennial.

Sowing description: The seeds can be sown in pond soil (with fertilizer), about half the seed deep. Put them in a lot of light and keep the water temperature at 30 degrees Celsius. If germination does not occur after a few weeks, you can carefully try to notch the seeds with a sharp knife. Normally, however, the seeds germinate very easily within 1-3 weeks.
We would love to hear your experiences!

For more information about sowing and further propagation, see: www.victoria-adventure.org
Or download their detailed description here.

Sowing time: March - May
Difficulty: Intermediate
Minimum temperature: 27 degrees Celsius

David Attenborough about the Victoria water lily:



Photo 1: Frank Wouters