Pocket BotanistPlant guide
Giant Waterlily.
Victoria amazonica
Pronounced vik-TOR-ee-uh am-uh-ZON-ih-kuh
Also known as Amazon water-lily, Victoria-lily, royal water-lily
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This massive aquatic plant is famous for its enormous, circular floating leaves that can span several feet across. It produces stunning, night blooming flowers that change color from white to pink over two days. It requires a large, warm pond to thrive properly.
At a glance
- Care level
- Difficult
- Plant type
- Aquatic perennial
- Light
- Full sun
- Indoor light
- Direct sun
- Water
- Every day
- Mature size
- 300 cm spread
- Growth rate
- Fast
- Hardiness
- USDA 10 to 12
- Bloom time
- Mid to late summer
Care
Ensure the water temperature remains consistently warm throughout the growing season. Watch for aphids or leaf beetles that may damage the foliage. Provide ample space for the leaves to expand without obstruction.
- Watering
- Must be grown in a pond or container filled with water.
- Feeding
- Use aquatic plant fertilizer tablets pushed deep into the soil.
- Pruning
- Remove decaying leaves to maintain water quality.
- Repotting
- Usually grown as an annual in cooler climates, requiring fresh soil each spring.
- Soil
- Rich heavy clay
- Soil pH
- 6.0 to 7.5
- Temperature
- 20 to 35°C
- Humidity
- 70 to 100%
- Drought tolerance
- Low
- Lifespan
- Annual, typically grown as a single season plant.
- Fragrance
- Strong
- Deer and rabbits
- High
Safety
- People
- The plant is not considered toxic to humans.
- Children
- The sharp spines on the underside of the leaves and stems pose a significant puncture risk to children.
- Contact allergens
- The underside of the leaves and stems are covered in sharp, defensive spines that can cause skin irritation.
- Airborne allergens
- There are no known respiratory allergens associated with this plant.
- Edibility
- The seeds are edible when cooked, but the plant is not typically consumed.
How to identify it
- Enormous circular floating leaves
- Upward turned leaf margins
- Spiny undersides on leaves
- Large fragrant night blooming flowers
- Height
- 0.2 to 0.3m
- Spread
- 2 to 3m
- Leaves
- green, reddish-purple, deciduous
- Flowers
- white, pink, 25 to 40cm
- Fruit
- green, brown, Late summer to autumn
Problems to watch for
- Algae OvergrowthCommon
- Water Lily AphidCommon
- Leaf SpotUncommon
- Root RotUncommon
- Aphids · Small insects that cluster on new growth and suck plant sap.
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Growing it
- Propagation
- seed
- When to plant
- Spring
- Overwintering
- In cooler climates, the plant is treated as an annual and discarded, as it cannot survive winter temperatures.
- In containers
- It is not suitable for standard containers and requires a massive, heated aquatic tank or pond.
Seed
- Harvest seeds from the mature fruit.
- Keep seeds in water at a constant 25 degrees Celsius.
- Plant in nutrient rich mud once they sprout.
Ensure the water remains warm and stagnant, as this plant dislikes strong currents.
Grows well with
- Water Hyacinth · They share similar tropical aquatic requirements.
Similar species
- Euryale ferox · It is a related giant water lily with similar growth habits.
Science
- Family
- Nymphaeaceae
- Genus
- Victoria
- Order
- Nymphaeales
- Class
- Magnoliopsida
- Native range
- Tropical South America, specifically the Amazon basin.
- Conservation
- It is not currently listed as endangered, but it relies on specific, undisturbed aquatic habitats.
It thrives in shallow, nutrient rich, slow moving waters where it competes for light by spreading its massive leaves.
- Value to wildlife
- nectar source
- Pollinators
- beetles
- Uses
- ornamental water feature, botanical display
Through the year
Ecological indicators
- Salinity
- 1/9
- Soil reaction
- 6/9
- Light
- 9/9
- Temperature
- 9/9
- Moisture
- 9/9
- Nutrients
- 8/9
Taxonomy resolved against GBIF.
Questions people ask
- Can I grow this in a small pond?
- No, it requires a very large, heated pool to thrive.
- Why are the leaves red underneath?
- The red pigment helps the plant absorb more light in murky water.
Where the name comes from
It was named in honor of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom.
Good to know
- The flowers bloom for only two nights, changing from white to pink.
- The leaves can reach up to 3 meters in diameter.
- It is the largest water lily in the world.
- The plant is native to the Amazon River basin.
Also in
Keep your giant waterlily growing
This page is a general guide. Save your plant in Pocket Botanist and you get care reminders timed for this plant, plus a care history that shows what worked.
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This guide was generated with AI on and checked against GBIF taxonomy. It is general information, not horticultural or veterinary advice. Read about how we build these guides.