The Giant Water Lily

Posted by AG (London, United Kingdom) on 12 June 2006 in Plant & Nature.

This is a detail of the giant Amazonian water lily, Victoria cruziana, grown from seed each year in a very hot glasshouse at Kew. The leaves can reach 2.5M / 8 feet in diameter. Flowering will be toward the end of June and, despite ( or because of ) an incredibly pungent aroma given off by the blooms to attract pollinating flies, crowds will gather for the brief event.

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Comments (1)

AG from London, United Kingdom

* These are amazing plants. I'm sure I've seen photos of kids sitting in them. I like the repeated patterns and the reflections in this.[reply]Heath @ 2006-06-12 08:10:36

* Thoose plants are huge. Amazing. They looks like giant baking tins. [reply]Erik @ 2006-06-12 08:52:22

* nature is indeed amazing and we are obviously expecting YOU to be among that crowd and let us enjoy the extravagancies of nature during that short period of bloom, without the smell ;-)[reply]hans @ 2006-06-12 10:00:04

* I have seen these on TV before - they are such an amazing plant..well captured in your image! cheers :)[reply]david @ 2006-06-12 11:27:39

* Thats realy great! It is unbelievable that the leaf make an 90 degress angle upwards.
Great shot![reply]rollinger @ 2006-06-12 11:59:27

* Awesome!!![reply]Michael @ 2006-06-12 13:38:49

* great composition really unsual this 90 degress angle[reply]fabrizio @ 2006-06-12 13:48:23

* stunning picture: looks like i could just reach out and touch them. always great to see these things in kew, seems somehow odd that such large pads grow so well in a greenhouse![reply]david @ 2006-06-12 15:41:31

* Well, good thing this time, that internet cannot transmit smells ;-). The natural sunlight makes the green look very appealing.[reply]Ella @ 2006-06-12 18:18:23

* Beautiful composition, nice colours![reply]010design-photoblog @ 2006-06-12 19:22:58

* That is so stunning. How big are the durn frogs?[reply]Dave @ 2006-06-12 21:01:18

* Looks like you could bake a quiche in one of those things! Unusual and eyecatching capture.[reply]fotojo @ 2006-06-12 23:32:30

* An amazing sight! I would probably put up with the odor to see the blooms later this month. [reply]micki @ 2006-06-13 05:45:02

* These are amazing. I have never seen such big and so perfectly rounds leaves. Looking at their shape, they can be used as plates. What is the size of the flower. [reply]navin harish @ 2006-06-13 09:54:25

* Thanks to Ella, Joanne, Micki, Heath, Eric, Hans, David K, Rollinger, Michael, Fabrizio, David L, Gio, Dave and Navin for your Comments on the Waterlily.

Heath is right that kids have been photographed sitting in one of those leaves on the water. You can see a pic of that on the link. Joanneâs 2.5M quiche should bake to perfection in the heat of that glasshouse which has been building up since 1852 and feels like it!

Looks like youâve collectively committed me to returning to capture the 2-day flower. The bloom goes thru several colors over two days but is not so much visually impressive as aromatically memorable . . hmm . . [reply]AG @ 2006-06-13 11:16:31

* really amazing, never saw such huge leafs...[reply]*mamo @ 2006-06-13 15:03:15

* superb color and patterns in this picture, these things are huge. nice find ag[reply]shane j montgomery @ 2006-06-13 16:04:10

* I've never seen anything like this in my life. They look like something from a science fiction movie with giant frogs. Most interesting.[reply]Sherri @ 2006-06-13 17:11:53

* These are pretty interesting plants. But, can I sit on those too? I'm about 75 Kg. Oh no... too late, too heavy he-he! I love the contrast and colourful detail in the image.[reply]Apurv @ 2006-06-13 21:06:13

* Additional thanks to Sherri, Mamo, Shane and Apurv for your kind Comments here. As this plant grows so rapidly and takes up so much space, there is an unusually acute sense of it being alive while viewing it. Sadly, Apurv, you have eaten too much of fotojoâs quiche for the leaves to support you![reply]AG @ 2006-06-14 10:07:44

* Terrific picture...and amazing leaves. I love the composition and look forward to the flowers if you are able and willing.[reply]Jeff @ 2006-06-21 22:10:10

* Thanks, Jeff. I'm still waiting for a full flower to open 12 days later . . . [reply]AG @ 2006-06-25 11:04:42

3 Sep 2009 11:19pm

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