ST. LOUIS — The Missouri Botanical Garden confirmed on Wednesday that it had formally entered a giant Victoria waterlily in the 2026 Waterlily Weigh-Off, the annual international contest measuring the largest and heaviest specimens grown by botanical institutions.

The Weigh-Off invites participating gardens to weigh and photograph their largest Victoria waterlily leaves, which can span more than two metres and support significant weight. Entries are compared across institutions in North America and Europe, with results tallied and announced later in the season. The garden previously claimed a title with one of its record-setting pads.

Horticulture staff at the garden's Climatron and aquatic display beds cultivate the tropical waterlilies through the summer months, when heat and humidity allow the plants to reach their peak size. The Victoria genus, native to South America, is prized for its enormous circular leaves and night-blooming flowers.

The garden said the entry underscored its longstanding aquatic horticulture program and its role in public plant education. The Missouri Botanical Garden encouraged visitors to view the giant waterlilies in person before the growing season ended.

The contest, run among member gardens each summer, has grown into a lighthearted showcase of horticultural skill, drawing entries from institutions eager to demonstrate the size of their tropical collections.