Victoria Amazonica

water lily · Amazon · giant plant

Enormous floating leaves. Victoria amazonica has the largest leaves in the water lily family, and they can grow so big that they float on the water like giant dinner plates. The leaves are often 2 to 3 meters across, which is about as wide as a tall person is tall.

Beautiful nighttime flowers. The plant produces stunning white or pink flowers that bloom at night and close by morning. The flowers are pollinated by beetles that visit them during the darkness.

Amazon native. Victoria amazonica grows naturally in the slow rivers and swamps of the Amazon Basin in South America, especially in Guyana and Brazil. The warm, still waters of these tropical wetlands are perfect for this giant water lily.

Strong leaf structure. The enormous leaves have upturned edges and a special ribbed structure underneath that makes them incredibly strong and rigid. Some people have tested whether a small child could stand on one of these leaves without it sinking.

Many local names. Different people living near the Amazon call this plant by different names, including Vitória-Régia in Brazil and Atun Sisac in the Quechua language of the Inca people.