Giant flowers - 12th August 2022

Plant scientists have made a discovery in London. They've discovered a new giant waterlily, the Victoria Boliviana. It's the largest member of the giant waterlily family.

Seeds for the flower came to Kew Gardens from Bolivia. Scientists knew about two types of giant waterlily, the Amazonica and the Cruziana. But no one had identified this third type. They grew the lily for four years without any identifying label. It was studied carefully before they told anyone about the discovery.

Scientists make over two thousand new discoveries of plants and animals a year. But it’s rare to find new giant plants. Carlos Magdalena’s amazed at how many things we still don't know about nature.

Carlos Magdalena: "Taxonomists, we discover about 2,000 species every year. So, it is not rare to find a new species. What I think is very unusual is a plant the size with this level of fame to be discovered in, in the year 2022. That is quite unusual. It also highlights how many things could be out there, isn't it."

The waterlily’s leaves can be three metres across. The plant grows lots of flowers, which open one at a time but only for two nights. They change colour from white to pink before dying.

Lucy Smith's amazed by the new giant waterlily.

Lucy Smith: "When I was finally able to observe a fully open flower, that's when it really hit me and hit us that this was something completely different from the other species. It was a spectacular flower. It was one of the largest flowers I'd seen. And the colouring and the structures were very different from the other species."

The only place you can find the three giant waterlilies together is Kew Gardens.