Victoria Lily Specialties

VICTORIA
LILY
SPECIALTIES

Victoria Lilies

Once seen only in botanical gardens, the home gardener can now enjoy the personal satisfaction of growing these magnificent plants in the home pond.

We have been growing and shipping Victoria for more than a decade now and supply many of the Victoria plants people admire in various public gardens. Happily the knowledge as to how best cultivate these wonders has progressed to the point that there is no reason a Victoria cannot be the focal point in anyone's water garden that is willing to provide the proper care.

These marvelous plants are not particularly difficult to grow once they have passed the seedling stage, we have actually helped pioneer some of the techniques now suggested for cultivating seedlings and offer plants that will establish quickly.

Mature Plant With Bloom

The seed for this year's crop is now being collected and the first plants should be available starting in mid-March. As a rule, the 'Longwood Hybrid' are the first to become available, followed a few weeks later by cruziana and then amazonica once the waters have warmed sufficiently.

Our seed is all from controlled crosses and the plants will be tagged with the seed lot number, allowing you to trace their pedigree.

I feel we would be remiss if we did not point out that this is not a plant for everyone. It is not because their cultural requirements are difficult, but because of their large size. Though they can be "dwarfed" to some degree, they are most impressive when grown in large containers, given plenty of room and fed frequently. With proper care your Victoria will thrive.

Cultivation Pond

The Plants

The genus Victoria is comprised of two species, V. amazonica and V. cruziana. With the exception of the top surface of the pads, these plants are protected by thorns that can be worth serious consideration when handling the plant. The huge white flowers open at night after filling the late afternoon and evening air with a heavy scent of pineapple.

Victoria amazonica

Sold Out for 2012
V. amazonica is the more tropical of the two and is native to the Amazon River Basin. The pads on amazonica can reach 4 - 6' with 3 - 6" reddish colored rims . The flower is white the first night and shows variations in the second night; depending on the individual plant, they range from deep pink to shades of red.

Price: $89.95 * Price Includes Shipping and Handling *

Victoria cruziana

V. cruziana is found naturally in the waters of Paraguay and Argentina where they are subjected to the much cooler water temperatures of a subtropical climate. On these plants the pads can reach 4 - 5 1/2' with 5 - 8" green rims. The flower is ‘frillier', white the first night and a flushed pink the second.

Price: $89.95 * Price Includes Shipping and Handling *

Victoria 'Longwood Hybrid'

V. 'Longwood Hybrid' is the result of a cross between the two species with cruziana as the seed parent and amazonica as the pollen. The 'Longwood Hybrid' provides the grower with the best of both worlds in that the pads are larger than either parent, reaching 4 - 8' and have attractive red rims that are 2 1/2 - 4" and is tolerant of cooler waters. Here again the flowers are white the first night and shades of pink on the second.

Price: $79.95 * Price Includes Shipping and Handling *

Victoria 'Adventure'

Sold Out for 2012
V. 'Adventure' is the result of the opposite cross between the two species with amazonica as the seed parent and cruziana as the pollen. The pads reach 3 - 8' and are bronzy-green with 2 - 3" dark red rims. The larger flowers are creamy white the first night and medium to light pink the second night.

Price: $79.95 *Price Includes Shipping and Handling*

Euryale ferox

Sold Out for 2012
Euryale ferox is commonly known as Gorgon Lily or Prickly Waterlily. The leaves can reach 4 - 5'. It is a day bloomer and the flower, while small for the plant size, is very attractive with violet outer petals and white inner petals. The leaves are textured, giving them a "mountainous" appearance. Euryale ferox has thorns on both sides of the pads as well as the stems and flower buds. The red thorns on the tops of the pads add to it's unique look.

Price: $39.95 *Price Includes Shipping and Handling*

Shipping Information

Prices include shipping and handling. Orders can be placed now and, with a $25.00 deposit, your plant will be reserved for shipment in Spring/Summer 2012, when the morning water temperature in your pond has reached the recommended minimum temperature of 70-75 F. Orders will also be accepted without a deposit; these orders will be processed on a first come, first served basis depending on availability after the reserved plants are accounted for. Supplies are generally limited, so the acceptance of an order not secured by deposit will not constitute a promise to ship. Plants are shipped bare root and with pads 8-10 inches in size. The healthy plants will be well packaged to withstand shipping and the buyer will be notified so preparations can be made to receive the plant. Plants will be shipped once a week on Mondays to allow ample transit time. Orders received before 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time Fridays will be shipped the following Monday. Please note, once the Victoria leave our nursery and they are out of our control, we are not able to guarantee the plants.

Quantities are limited and vary from year to year depending on the growing season, so orders for 2012 will be closed as soon as the available plants are sold.

Certified to ship all states except Arizona
International Orders - Please Inquire

If you have any questions, we will be only too happy to answer them. It is much easier to prevent potential problems than to correct them. Contact us at info@victorialilyspecialties.com

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