ST. LOUIS, Mo. (First Alert 4) – The Missouri Botanical Garden has placed a waterlily that can hold nearly 150 pounds into the annual Waterlily Weigh-Off.
For the annual 2026 Waterlily Weigh-Off, the Missouri Botanical Garden (MoBOT) submitted a Victoria ‘Longwood Hybrid’ waterlily that can hold 149 pounds on a single pad.
The weigh-off is an annual competition created and hosted by the Denver Botanic Garden and shows waterlilies from around the world. This was the third consecutive year MoBOT was invited to join.
MoBOT noted that the 2026 entry is “somewhat smaller” than in previous years, with the weather affecting the waterlilies’ development, as well as a brood of ducklings in the garden that found the waterlilies to be a favorite spot for sunbathing and snacking.
Ducklings sit on a Victoria waterlily at the Missouri Botanical Garden on August 12, 2026. MoBOT submitted a Victoria ‘Longwood Hybrid’ waterlily that can hold 149 pounds on a single pad for the 2026 Waterlily Weigh-Off, citing weather and ducklings as part of this year’s smaller size.(Lou Olson | The Missouri Botanical Garden)
In the wild, Victoria waterlilies can grow up to 10 feet in diameter.
Victoria waterlilies have been at the Garden since 1894, with the current living collection at over 250 species.
You can learn more about the Garden’s water lily collection on MoBOT’s Discover + Share Blog.
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