Tropical Waterlilies

[Really full garden]

I recently rekindled my interest in tropical waterlilies.I have a large pond that has become a nightmare.After many years only one variety remains - Emily Grant Hutchings.This variety has taken over the pond completely.

I built a new lily pool at the beach.It measures 6.5m in diameter by 1m deep.I am trying some newer varieties,Rhonda Kay,Flamingo,King of Siam,Albert Greenberg,Star of Siam,Miami Rose and a few more I cant remember at the moment.

Here are a few photos I took today,the camera does not do justice to the actual colors.

Star of Siam

Star of Siam foliage

Albert Greenberg - really large flowers with a great smell

Miami Rose

[Really full garden]

Miniature Yellow

Partial view of my new lily pool

[ariscott]

I used to have a few.... but now they are still in old bath tubs in my shadehouse... waiting for the pond to be dug . My other half is busy!!! Here are part of my collections that are left...

Regards, Ari

[Paco]

I love tropical Waterlilies, but here in Europe they are virtually imposible to find. Does any variety of trop.Waterlilies grow in Mediterranean climates?

I´m from Spain. I love King of Siam, Nymphaea caerulea, and Miami rose. I heard that the night blooming varieties are more cold resistant, Is that true?

[Really full garden]

Paco, I live in a tropical country and do not have to worry about cold weather.Twenty years ago I lived in Houston Texas and the climate is hot most of the year with a mild winter but the cold fronts from the north can cause severe cold a few times during winter.My night blooming lilies continued to bloom until mid December and then went dormant and started growing again in April.Some of the tropical lilies did not return every year.The most important factor for the tropicals is a long hot summer and frequent fertilser.

Ari, beautiful lilies.I am trying an Australian variety called Albert Lestang.I have heard they can be difficult to bloom.

I think individual lilies look great in large Indonesian pots placed on a walkway.A big pond is really not that impotant.

[Paco]

Hi Scott!! What varieties whould you recomend for this type of climate? Should they be removed from the pond every year?

¿Como se vive en Guatemala? tengo entendido que es un pais muy bonito.

[Really full garden]

Paco,Guatemala is the most beautiful country I have ever seen.We have every climate and can grow almost everything.

In your part of Spain you should have no problem with tropical lilies.They will go dormant during the coldest months.

They need water about 20c and up and atleast 5 hours of direct sun to grow and bloom well. Emily Grant Hutchings is a hot pink night bloomer and always came back for me in Houston.

Paco I noticed the date at the end of your posts - thats the end of the world according to the Maya Calender.

[chris78]

Paco I have been growing some tropical waterlilies in a less tham tropical climate. I have long hot summers and cool winters with about 4 to 12 nights that reach 32F or below... ( 0C )

One of the best for me has been SHIRLEY BYRNE an hot pink day bloomer that always comes back year after year no matter how cold it got ( I am in zone 9b)..... Another has been PANAMA PACIFIC...... STAR OF SIAM has done well too...

Am new one I tried last year call GENE JOYER overwintered last winter as a weak plant that was shipped to me from Florida, so it should do ok once it is established....

I have read that ALBERT GREENBERG does well in cooler waters and overwinters well in zone 9... I have not tried it because it is said that it does not do well in hot dry climates like mine.

[ariscott]

Ari, beautiful lilies.I am trying an Australian variety called Albert Lestang.I have heard they can be difficult to bloom.

I think individual lilies look great in large Indonesian pots placed on a walkway.A big pond is really not that impotant.

Big pot like that cost a fortune here... which makes me annoyed because we left a few behind when we moved back to Australia... Besides, Scott (my other half) is the one with the passion for waterplants - and he is very particular about how he wants them planted. So, I just let him sort them all out. One day, the pond will be dug. He wants to do it, so it will be done. If I want something done... it will be a different story .

Regards, Ari

[Paco]

Chris thanks for the info, I knew the cultivar Panama Pacific, I guess is the one that is in Island of Adventure (in the Jurassic Park pond) in Orlando, and it seems very happy there (maybe they keep the water warm?). I´ll try to find at least one cultivar, I think the only way to get them is going to be going back to florida and bring them on my suitcase hehe.

Scott, I think I saw that night-blooming one at FTBG, has it red leafs? it is very nice looking.

Not only the Mayan calendar, the I Ching (oldest chinese calendar) gives the same exact date, and a few others from small tribal groups...

I don't think is the end of the world, to me is more the end of "the world we live at", the system...the end of one cycle and the beginning of a new one...

I think we all trust too much the global society we live at, we should give a bit more of importance to our survival independence...

Do you have land to grow your own food?

[Really full garden]

Paco, Emily Grant Hutchings has burgundy colored foliage.

I currently live on a very large sugarcane plantation(terrilbly hot and dry) but will soon move to my new farm (110 acres) at 750m - 850m.

It is south of Antigua and has a perfect climate ,never cold and never hot.It was a coffee plantation but was abandoned during our civil war which just ended in 96.There are many mature fruit trees oranges,mangoes,jackfruit,macadamias,avocadoes.I plan to plant many more.

The Maya calender ends on that date and most agree that it just means the start of a new cycle.

[amazondk]

Scott,

I do not have any water lilies. But, maybe some day when I make a fish pond. But, there are some real nice water lilies in the rivers around here. They are a joy to see when they are out.

dk

[_Keith]

This is one area where it is wise to be careful with species that might be invasive. Many local waterways here suffer tremendous damage from imported water species. It is a nighmare in reality here with the Water Hyacinth.

[amazondk]

Keith,

That plant is another present from Brazil to the world just like the fire ant. Around here they are native and present no problem at all. But, in Africa, North America and other areas they are a problem. By the way I like those boots.

dk

[_Keith]

Keith,

That plant is another present from Brazil to the world just like the fire ant. Around here they are native and present no problem at all. But, in Africa, North America and other areas they are a problem. By the way I like those boots.

dk

This is a quote from another website on the Water Hyacinth "It is believed that the water hyacinth was introduced first into the United States at the World's Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition of 1884-1885 in Louisiana. A Florida visitor to the Exposition apparently returned home with water hyacinth plants and subsequently released them into the St. Johns River. From there water hyacinth plants rapidly spread to neighboring states. "

That exposition was the equivalent of the World's Fair in its day, in those days agriculture was king, therefore it was essentially the World's Fair of Plants. It was held in New Orleans, which was one of the main import centers for plants into the US for nearly a century, particulary plants from South America. We have many such naturalized plants here.

And the boots. Those are my best handstitched Ostrich boots. Super comfortable and is my normal daily dress. I normally have 3 modes of dress, boots, topsiders, and sandals. The boots up position, laptop in my lap, is how I normally surf PalmTalk whenever I get a break, so it seemed a fitting Avatar.

[ariscott]

Don,

We would love to grow that giant amazonian lily - whatever you call it... (Scott - my other half is the one with the water plant knowledge...). I just have to put clay at the bottom of the dam, so it will seal on the dry season. And then.... that big giant thing is going in, if we can find one...

Regards, Ari

[_Keith]

Don,

We would love to grow that giant amazonian lily - whatever you call it... (Scott - my other half is the one with the water plant knowledge...). I just have to put clay at the bottom of the dam, so it will seal on the dry season. And then.... that big giant thing is going in, if we can find one...

Regards, Ari

Ari, look for a source of a type of clay called Bentonite. It will seal your dam easily and perfectly, even if the dam material is sand..

[Really full garden]

Ari, the Victoria lilies are easy to grow from seed.I grow the Longwood hybrid.Even in my tropical climate they are annuals so I start them in early Feb.and plant them out in May when the leaf is about the size of a dinner plate.If I plant them any smaller they iguanas eat them (spines and all).

[amazondk]

Ari,

As Scott the Vitoria Regias are annuals, that is the way they are here. This has a lot to do with water level as well I think. The place where the picture was taken is dry land part of the year. They appear and bloom when the water is rising. They are a wonderful sight.

Keith,

I have some ostrich boots, but they are in Florida and a bit worse for wear. Maybe I can get some new boots when I go to Montana over the US summer. I wear some Brazilian boots quite a bit, especially when working around sawmills. They are a lot lighter than US boots, sort of made for the tropics. But, they are real comfortable. Other than that I normally wear some topsiders or rubber sandles when not at work. Since I don't have to wear a suit anymore I don't even have any dress shoes.

dk

[_Keith]

Ari,

As Scott the Vitoria Regias are annuals, that is the way they are here. This has a lot to do with water level as well I think. The place where the picture was taken is dry land part of the year. They appear and bloom when the water is rising. They are a wonderful sight.

Keith,

I have some ostrich boots, but they are in Florida and a bit worse for wear. Maybe I can get some new boots when I go to Montana over the US summer. I wear some Brazilian boots quite a bit, especially when working around sawmills. They are a lot lighter than US boots, sort of made for the tropics. But, they are real comfortable. Other than that I normally wear some topsiders or rubber sandles when not at work. Since I don't have to wear a suit anymore I don't even have any dress shoes.

dk

At the risk of sending this topic too far off, I am going to start a boots thread in Ohana Nui. Check it out.

[ariscott]

Ari,

As Scott the Vitoria Regias are annuals, that is the way they are here. This has a lot to do with water level as well I think. The place where the picture was taken is dry land part of the year. They appear and bloom when the water is rising. They are a wonderful sight.

Annual, really? Hhhmmm... if I keep my dam water level up, will they still go down? Or do they need dormant period? I have to think it over then... how to do it.

Regards, Ari

[Really full garden]

Ari,they are annuals and have a life span of about 12 months, but what a life! They grow at an incredible rate and to see a 1m size leaf open up is impressive.The night blooming flower is about the size of a cabbage and smells like mango-banana-pineapple on the first night.Ari are seeds available in Australia?If not I can connect you with an excellent source.

[Gbarce]

VICTORIA AMAZONICAS!!! Those are the plants that actually got me started in this hobby. I grew one of those for about 3 years. I was surprised to find that almost everywhere else they are treated like annuals.

I got mine to grow 5 and a half foot leaves. And the rim was about 4 inches tall.

Really really cool plant.

[_Keith]

We have about an 5 month tropical warm growing period, with 2.5 months of sub-tropical moderately warm on each side of the 5 months. Is that enough time to grow these? I would love to try some.

[ariscott]

quote name='scottgt' date='Apr 25 2008, 02:21 PM' post='196911']

Ari,they are annuals and have a life span of about 12 months, but what a life! They grow at an incredible rate and to see a 1m size leaf open up is impressive.The night blooming flower is about the size of a cabbage and smells like mango-banana-pineapple on the first night.Ari are seeds available in Australia?If not I can connect you with an excellent source.

Edited April 25, 2008 by ariscott

[Gbarce]

I was growing them here in our front yard in Manila. Tropical climate year round and no drying up of the riverbed so I guess that they can grow for several years if given the chance.

These are photos of my old plant (sadly she has passed away - a story for later). These wer before digital cameras were mainstreme so these are just photos of photos.

[Gbarce]

and another shot.

[Really full garden]

Keith, you can certainly grow them in your climate.I have seen them at the zoo in New Orleans.They need to be stated indoors in an aquarium at about 88 - 90 f .in February or March to have plants big enough to go outdoors in late April or May when your pond water is 70f or more.The more sun the better and water about three feet deep.Natural soil bottom pond is the best or use a giant tub.I use the black tubs they use for watering livestock.Fertilise alot , I use old panty hose stuffed with half a pound 15-15-15 every two weeks ,stand back and watch them grow at an incredible rate.Victoria cruziana actually prefers cooler water and can be grown in Denver!

[amazondk]

Here is another picture of the vitoria regia in habitat. When the water is lower none are around. This is varzea, flooded forest of muddy water, known as white water here. There are lots of birds around in these areas. It is a beautiful sight. You can see where the high water mark is on the trees, that is where the dark color stops.

I have not seen this picture for while. But, it is great to see again. Amazonia is an incredibly beautiful place. When you are in this spot the sounds of the birds, the smell, the light, the clouds, and everything else are overwhelming and really can not be captured in a picture.

dk

[ariscott]

OK... my next mission is to find some seeds and get my dam sealed to get ready for the wet... Thank you all for the gorgeous photos.

Regards, Ari

[aussiearoids]

aRI , SEEDS SHOULD BE READILY AVAILABLE , I know there were lots in one of the lakes at the gardens in Cairns .

People have been caught wading in there to get to the seeds , but a 3m crocodile will stop them now I think .

I am certain there are some growers in Darwin .. I have contact details for one guy from many years ago .

Just up the road at Terry Meads he had lots but crowded ponds stopped the seeds germinating . After cleaning out a few years after he thought he had lost all of them .... some sprouted !!

[Gbarce]

The seeds of these plants don't all sprout together. I think some may have a natural delay mechanismfor sprouting. It probably has something to do with the unperdicatbility of the rivers they grow in.

One thing all sources say is that the seeds muct never be allowed to dry up or else they lose viability very easily.

I am actually sprouting a few seeds right now.

Ari- this is the pond I grow them in. It only about knee high in the middle. This is a very shallow pond.

Edited April 26, 2008 by Gbarce

[Gbarce]

The pond is basically just a big depression with a pond liner on top. Never even tried to beautify it. Which in hind sites was a bad idea coz leaving the edges exposed like this got it easily damaged.

[Gbarce]

I checked my seeds because of this thread. Got curious coz nothing was showing up in the water's surface so I darained my "germination yub" a bit and eureka!!

This is my very first sprouted seed of Victoria Cruziana-- the all green variety. Its suppose to be smaller but the leaf rims are suppose to go up higher. It also more cold tolerant.

It can grow from this to the really big leaves in maybe 3 or 4 months.

[Gbarce]

correction : that last one was the Longwood seed ( yeah as if anyone could tell the difference at that stage)

This is the Cruziana sprout.

The Longwood hybrid ( after Longwood Gardens) is a cross between teh V. Amazonica and the V. Cruziana. These are suppose to be the easiest to sprout. There is supposed to be variability amongthe seedlings that come out and they are suppose to be more vigorous too.

[amazondk]

I don't have any water garden yet, but I sure would like one. I have an idea of making one on our country lot big enough to raise fish in as well. Here are some more local water lillies, these have nice yellow flowers but are not in flower now. As you can see there are Mauritias around the pond. That would make a good garden combination.

dk

[Really full garden]

This is my propagation tank.It was a fiberglass tank used to wash bananas. These are seedlings of Victoria Longwood which is a hybrid of V.amazonica X V. cruziana.The screen panels are to keep out iguanas.

Victoria seedlings - different sizes as Gene said they germinate very sporadically

V.Longwood seedling ready to be bumped up to a larger pot.Even at this stage they have spines.

[Really full garden]

This is Emily Grant Hutchings growing in my big pond.We have not had much rain recently so the water level is getting really low.

[ariscott]

aRI , SEEDS SHOULD BE READILY AVAILABLE , I know there were lots in one of the lakes at the gardens in Cairns .

People have been caught wading in there to get to the seeds , but a 3m crocodile will stop them now I think .

I am certain there are some growers in Darwin .. I have contact details for one guy from many years ago .

Just up the road at Terry Meads he had lots but crowded ponds stopped the seeds germinating . After cleaning out a few years after he thought he had lost all of them .... some sprouted !!

Thank you Michael. I have a contact for water lillies here in Darwin, but I have never seen Victoria amazonica at his place.. so I might ask him whether he knows anyone locally who grows them. If he doesn't, I might get the contact from you. Do the guy up the road from you grow them in pots, or he actually put them in the subtrate? I am just wondering the best way to go about it. My dam is 400 sq m and it is about 1.5-2m deep when it is full in the middle. There is a beach area - where it is shallow. I was thinking of putting potted stuff on the edge of the shallow part or even at the back - there is a little ledge all the way around..

Don,

I thought you had water course at the end of your property? I don't think you need artificial dam or pond when you have that.... unless of course, you plan to grow something exotics. Our property is dry block with a bit of a gentle slope... so Scott decided to put dam in the lowest point of the property, so all the rain water drains to the dam. Now, we just have to fix up the drainage and seal it.

Scott,

Gorgeous Emily Grant Hutchings... It does look rather thick... with low water level. Unfortunately, we are the same here in Darwin... We don't get rain in the dry season - so I was thinking we might have to top up our pond with bore water.

Regards, Ari

Edited April 26, 2008 by ariscott

[Mike4284m]

Here's some good reading on Victorias if anyone's interested. The link has lot of pics as well as growing tips/instructions. They even send out seed if they have any available. I hope one day I'll have a nice place to get some of these gals growing.

Victoria Info