LAKE WALES, Fla. — A Polk County botanical garden is celebrating a major victory after growing what it says is the world’s strongest waterlily pad.
Bok Tower Gardens took first place in this year’s International Waterlily Weigh-Off competition, beating more than 70 gardens, zoos and parks from around the world.
The Lake Wales attraction’s giant Victoria waterlily pad supported 285.7 pounds, setting a new record for Bok Tower Gardens.
The achievement makes Bok Tower Gardens a back-to-back champion in the competition.
The massive waterlily started from a seed roughly the size of a pea. Four months later, the Victoria waterlily had grown into a pad stretching nearly six-and-a-half feet across.
For Nursery Manager Debbie Franco, growing the giant lily is an annual challenge that lets the horticulture team focus on something outside its everyday responsibilities.
“Growing the Victoria Longwood is a specialty for us once a year,” Franco said. “So it pulls us away from our general duties and gives us something exciting to work towards and learn.”
Franco was responsible for gradually placing weights onto the giant pad during the weigh-off to determine how much it could support before sinking. As the weight climbed, the team wasn't sure how much farther the lily could go.
“Towards the end, I’m like, we’re way over what we did last year. There’s no way it’s holding this, but here we are still going,” Franco said. “Gardeners in the back are like, 'Keep going, keep going, keep going,’ and it was inspirational.”
The new champion didn't just beat the competition; it also smashed Bok Tower Gardens' previous record.
Last year's pad supported 183 pounds. This year's pad reached 285.7 pounds, an increase of more than 100 pounds.
Part of the plant's impressive strength comes from its unique structure, which traps air underneath the leaf and keeps it buoyant while supporting significant weight.
Bok Tower Gardens Director of Horticulture Brendan Huggins said the garden's environment also plays an important role. The combination of sunshine, humidity and deep pond water provides favorable conditions for the giant Victoria waterlilies.
“One of the really important things is that these lilies are in a body of water that the water warms up early in the season and we’re able to get them in very quickly and they’re able to grow,” Huggins said.
Huggins said the competition has also helped introduce Bok Tower Gardens to more people, including some who live nearby.
“Bok Tower is a well-known garden, but we have people right here in Lake Wales that have never heard of us before. So when we’re able to get a competition like this out, that has so much visibility we do see more people coming," Huggins said.
The garden is now celebrating its second consecutive championship, while its giant waterlilies continue to draw visitors.
For Cindy Carter, a Lake Wales visitor, the plants are worth seeing in person.
“They’re beautiful. They’re absolutely stunning, and I highly recommend anyone coming and visiting Bok Tower for the nature and the lilies,” Carter said.
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