Giant Water Lily
by Ajarae
Getting to See You
Visualize a plant having spikes all over the bottom. Are you thinking of a rose? Well it’s a giant water lily! The lily is protected with spikes, so be careful because that lily will prick you if she needs to. The spikes, or thorns, can hurt predators like fish that try to eat it. The lily is so strong it can support the weight of a human! How cool is that!
The lily’s flower is white and only blooms at night. The water lily’s leaves are green on top and red underneath. It also does photosynthesis, which is the process by which green plants use the sunlight to produce sugar, food for themselves. The lily’s pad has tremendous buoyancy (meaning it can float on water) from a web-like structure of veins filled with air throughout the leaves.
Why GIANT Water Lilies, Why Not Just Water Lilies?
Have you ever wondered why giant water lilies are so big? Well I’m going to tell you. You’re going to be surprised when I tell you this but a giant water lily starts out as a seed the size of a pea. I know right? It’s crazy! Each seed can grow into 20 or more lily pads. These young plants have foot wide leaves, or pads. In 60 days the plants grow from covering 1 square foot of the water’s surface to over 1,500 square feet. That’s a big difference!
Do you know a giant water lily can hold 136 kg which equals to around 300 pounds. So if you and five friends want to try sitting on it, don’t. You’ll break it!
Do you want to know something awesome? Well the reason why the giant pads are giant is they are related to a lily called Victoria cruziana, which is named after Queen Victoria from Great Britain. The Victoria cruziana is also giant, but the difference is it does not have red underneath the leaves. Maybe that’s why the giant water lily pads are so giant! I guess you won’t wonder now.
Let’s Play Hide and Seek Giant Water Lily
Did you ever want to grow a giant water lily in your backyard in a pond? Well you can’t. Giant water lilies just don’t grow anywhere silly. The giant water lily grows in the shallow (not very deep) waters of the Amazon River, which is in South America. It’s native to Brazil. It grows all year round. Its scientific name is Victoria amazonica, because it is from the Amazon.
The plant needs to live in the sun in order to do photosynthesis. If not in the native country then it can be found in Great Britain, but it only grows in the summer when it’s warm. Now you know why you can’t grow a giant water lily anywhere.
Giant Water Lilies Cool Life!
Have you ever thought how a giant water lily starts a new life? Well it starts out as a seed the size of a pea (I know I said this already) and then the seed opens and grows its spiky stalk to form a pad at the top of the pond. Then the flower comes with it, but it’s closed with spikes all over it. Next while the giant water lily grows the flower opens up and it’s a white color and it’s a female. It’s ready to start the pollination. Pollination is when pollen is spread from one flower to another in order to make more.
When white, it gives off a fragrance, which means it smells good. I wish I could have the water lily. Did you know the lily flower gives off a butterscotch pineapple scent? Who knew that smells sooo good? It does this to attract pollinators, like the beetle.
The way that the pollination works is first the beetle enters the flower while the flower is white and open. The beetle is captured overnight by the flower. Then the flower gives pollen to the beetle. Then it flies off to find another giant water lily to pollinate. The next day, the flower turns pinky purple once pollinated. Then flower is done now and sinks into the water to develop seeds in order to grow more water lilies.
If you ever go to a rainforest, be sure to check out giant water lilies!
by Ajarae
Getting to See You
Visualize a plant having spikes all over the bottom. Are you thinking of a rose? Well it’s a giant water lily! The lily is protected with spikes, so be careful because that lily will prick you if she needs to. The spikes, or thorns, can hurt predators like fish that try to eat it. The lily is so strong it can support the weight of a human! How cool is that!
The lily’s flower is white and only blooms at night. The water lily’s leaves are green on top and red underneath. It also does photosynthesis, which is the process by which green plants use the sunlight to produce sugar, food for themselves. The lily’s pad has tremendous buoyancy (meaning it can float on water) from a web-like structure of veins filled with air throughout the leaves.
Why GIANT Water Lilies, Why Not Just Water Lilies?
Have you ever wondered why giant water lilies are so big? Well I’m going to tell you. You’re going to be surprised when I tell you this but a giant water lily starts out as a seed the size of a pea. I know right? It’s crazy! Each seed can grow into 20 or more lily pads. These young plants have foot wide leaves, or pads. In 60 days the plants grow from covering 1 square foot of the water’s surface to over 1,500 square feet. That’s a big difference!
Do you know a giant water lily can hold 136 kg which equals to around 300 pounds. So if you and five friends want to try sitting on it, don’t. You’ll break it!
Do you want to know something awesome? Well the reason why the giant pads are giant is they are related to a lily called Victoria cruziana, which is named after Queen Victoria from Great Britain. The Victoria cruziana is also giant, but the difference is it does not have red underneath the leaves. Maybe that’s why the giant water lily pads are so giant! I guess you won’t wonder now.
Let’s Play Hide and Seek Giant Water Lily
Did you ever want to grow a giant water lily in your backyard in a pond? Well you can’t. Giant water lilies just don’t grow anywhere silly. The giant water lily grows in the shallow (not very deep) waters of the Amazon River, which is in South America. It’s native to Brazil. It grows all year round. Its scientific name is Victoria amazonica, because it is from the Amazon.
The plant needs to live in the sun in order to do photosynthesis. If not in the native country then it can be found in Great Britain, but it only grows in the summer when it’s warm. Now you know why you can’t grow a giant water lily anywhere.
Giant Water Lilies Cool Life!
Have you ever thought how a giant water lily starts a new life? Well it starts out as a seed the size of a pea (I know I said this already) and then the seed opens and grows its spiky stalk to form a pad at the top of the pond. Then the flower comes with it, but it’s closed with spikes all over it. Next while the giant water lily grows the flower opens up and it’s a white color and it’s a female. It’s ready to start the pollination. Pollination is when pollen is spread from one flower to another in order to make more.
When white, it gives off a fragrance, which means it smells good. I wish I could have the water lily. Did you know the lily flower gives off a butterscotch pineapple scent? Who knew that smells sooo good? It does this to attract pollinators, like the beetle.
The way that the pollination works is first the beetle enters the flower while the flower is white and open. The beetle is captured overnight by the flower. Then the flower gives pollen to the beetle. Then it flies off to find another giant water lily to pollinate. The next day, the flower turns pinky purple once pollinated. Then flower is done now and sinks into the water to develop seeds in order to grow more water lilies.
If you ever go to a rainforest, be sure to check out giant water lilies!