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The Victoria ‘Longwood Hybrid’ is a giant waterlily developed in the 1960s at Longwood Gardens by horticulturist Patrick Nutt, who crossed Victoria amazonica and Victoria cruziana to create what would surpass its parents in vigor, flower, leaf size, and cold-tolerance. The genus Victoria was named in honor of Queen Victoria during the 19th century, when the plant’s discovery in the Amazon captivated Europe with its enormous floating leaves and dramatic, night-blooming flowers. The hybrid continues that legacy with massive blooms that open white on the first night, releasing a sweet, pineapple-like fragrance to attract scarab beetles, then reopen pink on the second night. Since the beetles are native to the Amazon, Longwood staff must hand-pollinate the flowers to ensure seed production and maintain the collection. The ‘Longwood Hybrid’ remains a living tribute to botanical innovation and the era that first celebrated its wonder.There's just a week remaining to enjoy the Victoria water platters and the waterlily collection before Waterlily Court goes dormant for the season.  

Franklinia, or the Franklin tree is a small deciduous tree in the camellia family. It was first discovered by the Philadelphia based botanists John and William Bartram on the banks of the Alatamaha River in Georgia in 1765. William Bartram collected seed in 1773, and successfully cultivated the plant at the Bartram gardens in Philadelphia. Bartram named the new plant Franklinia alatamaha in honor of his father’s friend Benjamin Franklin.  It is a unique tree as it is the only species in its genus, and it is now extinct in the wild. The original stand of trees was restricted to a small area and the species went extinct soon after its discovery, with the last confirmed sighting recorded in 1803. The probable causes for its demise were increased activity associated with settlers; for example fires and land clearance. All known living specimens in cultivation today are descended from the seed collected by William Bartram.  Interestingly, while the tree was discovered in Georgia, it performs well in more northern climates. It has therefore been hypothesized that the tree was pushed south during the last ice age, then stranded when the ice retreated. The trees that the Bartrams discovered might have been the last remnants of a once much larger population.  The Franklin tree is available commercially and is prized in cultivation for both its story and its fragrant camellia-like flowers and red fall foliage.