By KATH GANNAWAY
YOU don’t have to be a teeny, tiny fairy to splash around on a lily pad at Yarra Junction’s Blue Lotus Water Garden.
As of last week, the garden is home to Australia’s largest Victoria Cruziana Waterlily leaf.
Cruziana is a variety of Amazon Lily that has giant lily pads which, because of their network of ribs, have incredible strength.
You couldn’t wipe the grin off owner and grower Geoff Cochrane’s face on Saturday, 17 January, when his top performer was measured at 170 centimetres, making it an Australian record.
Mr Cochrane said Australia’s previous largest leaf was grown at the Botanical Gardens in South Australia and was 165 centimetres in diameter.
Both the Cruziana and the Victoria amazonica are grown in the purpose-built Amazon House glasshouse at the gardens.
Over the past few weeks, excitement has grown in pace with the leaf as the tape measure was brought out regularly in anticipation of an Australian record.
As the largest leaf in the pond edged its way towards its record-breaking 170 centimetres, Mr Cochrane’s grandchildren Lily Fairy Kimberley and little brother Charley tested out claims that the lily pads can grow large enough to support the weight of a small child … or in this case, two!
Looking every bit like cheeky little frogs, they splashed around on their lily pad, much to the delight of visitors.
While the Amazon Lily’s leaf is its most famous feature, it also produces huge, stunning flowers, over 30 centimetres in size, that open white then gradually turn pink before dying within 48 hours.
Visitors to the gardens, which are open for only 14 weeks each year, will now have bragging rights to having seen the biggest leaf in Australia … in Yarra Junction!
