Scientific Name
Victoria amazonica (Poepp.) J. C. Sowerby
Common Name(s)
Amazon Water Lily, Giant Amazon Water Lily, Giant Water Lily, Royal Water Lily, Victoria Lily
Synonym(s)
Euryale amazonica, Victoria regia, Victoria regina
Scientific Classification
Family: Nymphaeaceae
Genus: Victoria
Flower
Color: White and pink
Bloom Time: July to August
Description
Victoria amazonica is a plant with very large leaves that float on the water's surface on a submerged stalk up to 26 feet (8 m) long. The leaves are up to 10 feet (3 m) in diameter. The underside of the leaves is coppery red.
The flowers are white and up to 16 inches (40 cm) in diameter. The first night, they are open and become pink the second night.
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zone 10a to 11b: from 30 °F (−1.1 °C) to 50 °F (+10 °C).
How to Grow and Care
In the wild, the giant waterlily is a short-lived perennial. However, at Kew, Royal Botanic Gardens, it is raised as an annual from seed planted each January.
In summer, the flowers are hand-pollinated and then placed in a bag. This enables easy collection of the resulting seed in the fall. The seeds must be kept moist, preferably in water, all the time. They are kept at a constant temperature of 15 °C to prevent premature germination or death. To begin germination, it is sometimes necessary to nick the seed with a scalpel, after which germination occurs in ten days. In January, the newly germinated seed is pricked into a tiny pot in water. As the plant grows, potting into larger pots is carried out until the plant occupies a one-ton pot. Loam is used as a substrate. The key factors for this choice are that it does not float, is rich in nutrients, and can enclose the fertilizer contained in the 'feed bombs' given to the plant.
See more at How to Grow and Care for an Amazon Water Lily (Victoria amazonica).
Origin
Victoria amazonica is native to the shallow waters of the Amazon River basin.
Links
- Back to genus Victoria
- Plantpedia: Browse flowering plants by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, or Origin
Photo Gallery
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