Kids talk about ...
Really cool plants!
05.02.14
Blue Peter gardener, Chris Collins gets us off to a flying start by nominating the giant water lily as his ‘really cool plant’. He chose it for its fast and furious lifestyle and bizarre pollination process!
Chris says, ‘The massive leaves of this amazing plant can expand up to half a square metre a day and the white flowers are pollinated by beetles, attracted by the scent. The flower keeps the beetle captive overnight and when it is released the next day the flower has turned pinkish-purple. The beetle is covered in pollen and flies away to find another white lily flower to pollinate.
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Victoria amazonica (Photo A. McRobb © RBG, Kew)
Fun facts about giant water lilies:
- The scientific name of the giant water lily is Victoria amazonica and was named after Queen Victoria.
- The giant water lily comes from the Amazon region of South America.
- The floating leaves are so big and strong they can carry a small child.
- The green leaves are purplish-red underneath with large spines – a defence against plant-eating fish
- The leaves have air inside them to help them float and they are anchored into the mud at the bottom of the river with long stems..
Chris Collins is the Blue Peter gardener and spends much of his time encouraging the next generation of gardeners through his work in schools and with charities. For more information go to: