Rather than digging in, let’s wade in to our topic this week – because the subject is waterlilies. If you follow any botanical gardens on social media, you’ve probably seen how the giant tropical Victoria water lilies, with their massive pads, have gone viral in recent summers thanks to a competition called the Water Lily Weigh-Off that tests how much weight those ingeniously designed leaves can bear without sinking.  

One participant, New York Botanical Garden in the Bronx, has been cultivating and stewarding and showing off these dramatic plants since long before the virtual rivalry began. Marc Hachadourian, director of glasshouse horticulture there, is here to tell us about both the tropical and hardy species in NYBG’s collection – and what all the fuss is about – and also some of the secrets of how aquatic plants work, anyhow.

Besides directing glasshouse horticulture at the garden, Marc is also a leading expert on orchids. NYBG is currently staging an exhibit called Flower Power, and a display of tropical waterlilies outside the conservatory is just one part of that show.

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