The 'Victoria regia' is thriving in the Sathira-Dhammasathan Centre's gardens

Outlook News - Sunday December 23, 2007

GREEN FINGERS

A regal flower

The 'Victoria regia' is thriving in the Sathira-Dhammasathan Centre's gardens

NORMITA THONGTHAM

A very Merry Christmas to all readers! May your gardening days be always joyful and bright.

Of all members of the Nymphaeaceae, or water lily family, Victoria regia (known as bua kadong in Thai) is the most majestic. Hence it comes as no surprise that it is called royal water lily, although most people call it simply Victoria.

A native of the Amazon, Guiana and Bolivia in South America, Victoria has floating gigantic green leaves with upturned red edges and big, fragrant floating flowers that are white on the first day, pink on the second day before turning red on the third day.

If the flower has been pollinated, it submerges and turns into a round green, thorny pod which remains under water until two or three months later when it emerges from the water, the seeds it carries ready to be harvested.

"The seeds are ripe when the thorns on the pod have become rounded and blunt," Chom Earpukven, who mastered the art of germinating Victoria regia through trial and error, said.

"It took me one whole year of close observation before I learned to germinate the seeds successfully," said Chom, who has been propagating the plants from seeds for more than 10 years. "There are publications on growing Victoria but there are no details on how to grow it from seed."

A graduate of agriculture from Rajabhat Phra Nakhon University, Chom has been in charge of the Sathira-Dhammasathan Centre's gardens for 19 years. He has four gardeners who help in propagating, planting, cultivating and watering plants and trees on the 14-rai compound. Brown leaves are raked from the ground and processed into compost, which is used to enrich the soil so that the centre does not have to buy chemical fertilisers.

The centre started with 15 Victoria water lilies; now it has hundreds, Chom said.

"I tried my best to learn how to propagate the plant because Khun Mae Sansanee [Mae Chee Sansanee Sthirasuta, the centre's founder] loves it," he said.

"One pod has more than a hundred seeds, but they don't mature all at the same time. All seeds are green but the mature ones are darker and fuller. I clean the seeds, then put them in a basket submerged under a few inches of water in a sunny place.

"After a few days, I plant the seeds under one inch of mud. I do not put any fertiliser as it will make the seedlings rot easily. After one month the seedlings are ready to be transplanted."

Juvenile leaves emerge from the water shaped like a deflated rugby ball filled with thorns. In the Sathira-Dhammasathan Centre's pond there are leaves and flowers in all stages of development.

A healthy Victoria regia has 10 to 13 leaves, Chom observed. Each leaf lasts between 20 days and one month. But like a gem which shines better when it is put in the spotlight, each plant must have a space of 25m2 to show its real beauty.

Grown from seed, Victoria will start to flower when it is four and a half months old, Chom said.

Victoria water lily is not for everyone, as you will need a pond in which to plant one. But those who want the plant but do not know where to buy it, the centre has plants for sale. Proceeds will fund its charity work caring for abused women and children.

'Victoria regia' is Plant of the Month for January at http://www.thaigreenfingers.com/ which has a forum where you can post your questions about plants or gardening. Emails may be sent to normita@thaigreenfingers.com

Bangkok Post