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
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
- Water
- Every 1 days
- Mature size
- 300 cm spread
- Growth rate
- fast
- Hardiness
- USDA 10 to 11
- 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
- 60 to 90%
How to identify it
- Enormous circular floating leaves
- Upward turned leaf margins
- Spiny undersides on leaves
- Large fragrant night blooming flowers
- Height
- 0.1 to 0.2m
- Spread
- 2 to 3m
- Leaves
- green, deciduous
- Flowers
- white, pink, 25 to 40cm
- Fruit
- brown, Autumn
Growing it
- Propagation
- seed
- When to plant
- Spring
Science
- Family
- Nymphaeaceae
- Genus
- Victoria
- Order
- Nymphaeales
- Class
- Magnoliopsida
Through the year
Taxonomy resolved against GBIF.
Is your giant waterlily looking unwell?
This page is a general guide. Pocket Botanist diagnoses problems from a photo of your actual plant, works out watering for your light and conditions, and reminds you when care is due.
This guide was generated with AI and checked against GBIF taxonomy. It is general information, not horticultural or veterinary advice. Read about how we build these guides.