Commanding attention with their dramatic scale and rich botanical history, water-platters of the genus Victoria have captivated the imaginations of garden guests and botanists alike for centuries. At Longwood Gardens, our Victoria Core Collection stands as a centerpiece of our summer Waterlily Court—and as a benchmark in global conservation and cultivation efforts.
This collection comprises two of the three recognized species—Victoria amazonica and Victoria cruziana—sourced from documented wild origins or their direct progeny, as well as the remarkable ‘Longwood Hybrid,’ first developed and still maintained at Longwood Gardens. A landmark achievement in aquatic plant hybridization, the ‘Longwood Hybrid’ was created in 1960 by renowned horticulturist Patrick Nutt and first flowered at Longwood in 1961. Each season, these hybrid plants grow from seed to reach an astonishing span of six feet or more, offering a living spectacle of scale and elegance.
A leader in Victoria conservation, each year we create crosses and share these seeds with gardens around the world. Longwood pioneers the public display of these South American natives. Germplasm from our collection is distributed annually to botanical institutions around the world. More than a horticultural marvel, the water-platter collection fulfills critical roles in plant conservation, public display, education, heritage preservation, and research.
Curators: Tim Jennings & Suzanne Boom
