The Waterlily Weigh-Off, led by Denver Botanic Gardens, challenges an impressive list of public gardens and zoos around the world to see how much weight their Victoria waterlily leaves can hold. The third annual competition took place August 18-24, 2025, on TikTok, Instagram and Facebook with over 40 participants across nine countries. We kicked off the competition on August 18, and all other public gardens and zoos entered between August 19-24. The winner was announced on our social channels on August 28. </p> Missouri Botanical Garden was the 2024 champion</a>, with their leaf holding 142 pounds before it started to sink! We mailed them a trophy, and they will pass it on to the 2025 winner.</p> The social media competition went viral in 2024 and provides a playful opportunity to educate the public about the fascinating world of aquatic plants, specifically the waterlily species V. amazonica</em>, V. cruziana</em> and Victoria </em>‘Longwood Hybrid’. The leaves (lily pads or platters) of these tropical plants can grow up to a diameter of 10 feet and hold the weight of an adult. This remarkable strength comes from more than just trapped air: the leaves have a highly engineered network of radiating ribs and cross-veins on their underside. As these veins grow and expand, they create rigid compartments that both trap pockets of air and distribute weight across the entire surface. The upturned rims help keep water off the leaf, while the large size and sharp spines underneath prevent other plants from encroaching on their space.</p> The 2025 champion is Bok Tower Gardens</strong></a> from Florida, USA </strong>weighing in at a total of 183 lb. / 83 kg.! Right behind them, in second place, is our reigning 2024 champ, Missouri Botanical Garden</strong>, with a total weight of 182 lb. / 82.6 kg.! Third place goes to Huntsville Botanical Garden </strong>with a total weight of 176 lb. / 79.8 kg.</p> Confirmed Competitors</h2> You can find their video entries on Instagram, Facebook and/or TikTok.</p> Atlanta Botanical Garden</a> (Georgia, USA), 77 lb. / 34.9 kg.Birmingham Botanical Gardens</a> (England), 75.4 lb. / 34.2 kg.Bok Tower Gardens</a> (Florida, USA), 183 lb. / 83 kg.Botanischer Garten Augsburg</a> (Germany), 0.095 lb. / 0.043 kg.Botanica, The Wichita Gardens</a> (Kansas, USA), 42.5 lb. / 19.3 kg.Botanisk hage Oslo</a> (Norway), 40.8 lb. / 18.5 kg.Bristol Botanic Garden</a> (England), 15.4 lb. / 7 kg.Brookgreen Gardens</a> (South Carolina, USA), 23 lb. / 10.4 kg.Brooklyn Botanic Garden</a> (New York, USA), 30 lb. / 13.6 kg.Cambridge University Botanic Garden</a> (England), 26 lb. / 11.8 kg.Chicago Botanic Garden</a> (Illinois, USA), 25.25 lb. / 11.45 kg.Cleveland Botanical Garden</a> (Ohio, USA), “100,000 lb.”Como Zoo Conservatory</a> (Minnesota, USA), 71.51 lb. / 32.4 kg.Conservatory of Flowers</a> (California, USA), two ceramic frogsDenver Botanic Gardens</a> (Colorado, USA), 50 lb. / 22.7 kg.Desert City </a>(Spain), 59.5 lb./ 27 kg.The Eden Project </a>(England), 15.6 lb. / 7.073 kg.Espace pour la vie</a> (Canada), 50 lb. / 22.7 kg.Franklin Park Conservatory and Botanical Gardens</a> (Ohio, USA), 5.8 lb. / 2.6 kg.The Hudson Gardens</a> (Colorado, USA), 21 lb. / 9.5 kg.The Huntington Library and Botanical Gardens</a> (California, USA), 12 tiny sand bagsHuntsville Botanical Garden</a> (Alabama, USA), 176 lb. / 79.8 kg.Longwood Gardens</a> (Pennsylvania, USA), 165 lb. / 74.8 kg.McKee Botanical Gardens</a> (Florida, USA), 44 lb. / 20 kg.Middleton Hall Gardens</a> (England), 0.024 lb. / 0.01 kg.Minnesota Landscape Arboretum</a> (Minnesota, USA), 0.07 lb. / 0.03 kg.Missouri Botanical Garden</a> (Missouri, USA), 182 lb. / 82.6 kg.The Morton Arboretum</a> (Illinois, USA), 12 toy frogsNaples Botanical Garden</a> (Florida, USA), 30 lb. / 13.6 kg.New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill</a> (Massachusetts, USA), 30 lb. / 13.6 kg.New Orleans Botanical Garden</a> (Louisiana, USA), 73 lb. / 33.1 kg.New York Botanical Garden</a> (New York, USA), 100 lb. / 45.4 kg.Powell Gardens</a> (Missouri, USA), 30 lb. / 13.6 kg.Redleaf Exotics</a> (Tennessee, USA), 115 lb. / 52.16 kg.Royal Botanical Gardens Canada</a> (Ontario, Canada), 3 stones & an acornRoyal Botanic Garden Edinburgh</a> (Scotland), 79.6 lb. / 36.1 kg.Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew</a> (England), 168.7 lb. / 76.5 kg.Royal Botanic Garden Sydney</a> (Australia), 0.02 lb. / 0.01 kg. or “ten men”San Diego Botanic Garden</a> (California, USA), 0 lb. / 0 kg.Sarah P. Duke Gardens</a> (North Carolina, USA), 90 lb. / 40.8 kg.Stellenbosch University Botanical Garden</a> (South Africa), “all of the Anthropocene”The Toledo Zoo</a> (Ohio, USA), 31 lb. / 14.1 kg.University of Bonn Botanic Garden</a> (Germany), 154 lb. / 70 kg.University of California, Davis, Botanical Conservatory</a> (California, USA), 80 lb. / 36.3 kg.University of California, Los Angeles, Mathias Botanical Garden</a> (California, USA), 0.007 lb. / 0.003 kg, a.k.a. one gummy bearU.S. Botanic Garden</a> (Washington D.C., USA), lots of fluffVizcaya Museum and Gardens</a> (Florida, USA), 30 lb. / 13.6 kg.Wave Hill Public Garden & Cultural Center</a> (New York, USA), 39 lb. / 17.7 kg. </p>
Plant Select is a unique program that brings plants to the consumer market that are good for the Colorado Front Range steppe environment. Plants from the Plant Select® program are integrated into many of the gardens and can be found throughout Denver Botanic Gardens.</p> As you enter the Gardens and make your way to the Crossroads Garden</strong> you will see some classics from Plant Select. In the beds leading to the main building you can see Delosperma </em>spp., commonly known as ice plants. Ice plants are a hardy groundcover from southern Africa and grow well in Colorado. Over the years Plant Select has introduced and recommended more than a dozen selections and species of Delosperma</em>. Also in the Crossroads is Epilobium canum</em> ssp. garrettii </em>‘PWWG01S’, commonly known as ORANGE CARPET® California fuchsia. This plant stands a little taller than the ice plants but is still considered a ground cover. These plants are very sought after by hummingbirds. You can often find these energetic birds fighting over these plants and all the nectar they produce. </li> Continue to the west down the main path and in the planters on the top of the ramp on each side you will see lovely specimens of Picea glauca </em>‘Pendula’. At the base is Oenothera macrocarpa </em>ssp. incana </em>SILVER BLADE®. This low water combination shows off the beauty of silver foliage and the Oenothera</em> is a very prolific blooming plant. Flowers are a soft yellow and open in the late afternoon to evening. This feature is where it gets the common name silver evening primrose. Silver foliage on plants is often a protective feature some plants develop to survive in very high light conditions as well as a way to preserve water in the plant. </li> Now continue on west through Roads Water-Smart Garden and keep going into Shady Lane</strong>. Planted along the Shady Lane in the southern beds are examples of Daphne </em>× burkwoodii</em> ‘Carol Mackie’. This variegated shrub looks great all year long and in protected locations like Shady Lane the plant will be evergreen. About this time of year, the plant will be covered with intensely fragrant white flowers. Plants that thrive in dry shade can be a challenge to find but this is one of the very best of them. </li> Once you have taken in the fragrant blooms of Daphne</em>, continue west to arrive at the Darlene Radichel Plant Select Garden</strong>. This garden is designed as a showcase for the Plant Select program. Here you will find almost every plant that Plant Select has introduced and recommended. There are plants from the very first year of introduction to plants that won’t be available to the public until the following growing season. This garden showcases the different ways you can use and display plants from this program.</li> </ul> Plant Select has brought to the market more than 175 unique plants and many of them are Colorado and regionally native plants. With long seasons of interest and the ability to thrive in Colorado’s steppe climate, these are the plants that can help you transform your landscape into a beautiful, diverse, pollinator-friendly oasis.</p> Please visit plantselect.org</a> for more information on this program and where you can find the plants to purchase.</p>
Since 2019, the Diversity in the Arts (DITA) has been an internship program focusing on diversity, equity and inclusion, bringing these values within the arts and humanities industries. For 10 weeks during the summer, interns are placed at their host sites where they engage in various work tasks and learn the importance of how art connects with people. As a double major in art practices and ethnic studies at the University of Colorado Boulder, I knew this internship program would be a great fit to gain real experiences doing what I love.</p> Throughout the summer, I worked closely with the volunteer services and learning engagement teams, completing various tasks, activities, and events. With volunteer services, I co-managed the Summer Teen Volunteer Program with Maureen Igoe, assistant manager of volunteer services. With 76 teen participants, my role on this team included engaging and setting up volunteers for Evenings al Fresco, Summer Concert Series, Lavender Festival, and daily horticulture and guest engagement shifts.</p> With volunteer services, I facilitated painting classes for the teen volunteers, where they learned about Mexican magical realism and participated in a painting activity focused on storytelling through the inspiration of plants. I had the opportunity to curate the annual Art on the Prairie Show at Plains Conservation Center</a> in Aurora, utilizing my artistic knowledge to identify and organize common themes, colors, and mediums in the artworks submitted. In addition, I was scheduled as a visitor experience associate where I welcomed guests entering the Contemporary Fiber: Botanicals</a> exhibit.</p> With the learning engagement team, I focused on bridging art and science at Denver Botanic Gardens. My projects included conducting research on the most commonly asked plants' peak bloom and designing flashcards using the principles of art on display. I appreciated connecting with staff whose roles incorporate diverse groups of people and plants. They shared their career paths, successes, and challenges, providing me valuable guidance as I continue to navigate my future career in the art industry.</p> My experience interning at Denver Botanic Gardens has taught me the importance of connecting people with plants, collaborating with others, independent projects, leadership, and community engagement. I plan to utilize and expand these skills as I wrap up my undergraduate studies at CU Boulder. The Gardens inspired me to showcase my diversity and apply my creative skills to projects that celebrate the experiences of everyone.</p> This article was contributed by volunteer services and learning engagement intern Juni Balderas</strong>. </em></p>
Penstemons, also called beardtongues, are an incredibly gorgeous and diverse genus of flowering plants. They are only native to North America, making them a wide-reaching yet still unique treasure. These wildflowers find homes across many ecosystem types, from the prairie and steppe to foothills and alpine to moist meadows and rocky crevices. Structurally, they range in height from a few inches to several feet. They bloom in a colorful array as well: pink, red, orange, violet, white and sometimes yellow. There truly is a penstemon for every niche. </p> With their diversity in size, color and range – one will find that penstemons enhance numerous garden styles: native, pollinator, prairie, rock and alpine, crevice, romantic, cottage and naturalistic to name a few. In the garden, penstemons will thrive in full to partial sun and they prefer well drained soil. Many species like P. pinifolius</em> and P. pseudospectabilis</em> thrive in xeric conditions, and most can handle medium watering schedules. With some sun, water and a little love penstemons are sure to enhance your garden.</p> Humans are not the only species that enjoy these lovely perennials. Hummingbirds have a haven in the tubular penstemon flowers, especially orange and red species like P. cardinalis</em> and P. eatonii</em>. Native bees also love blooming penstemon as a nectar and pollen waystation, and songbirds delight in the forb once it goes to seed. Their foliage can provide cover for small mammals and birds, as well as diversifying the plant communities and habitats overall.</p> At Chatfield Farms</a>, visitors can find penstemons in almost every garden</a> – a testament to their versatility and lovability. Some beardtongue hotspots to enjoy are the Prairie Garden, Carol Gossard Colorado Native Plant Garden near the Green Farm Barn and the garden around the yurt. Penstemon’s peak bloom time is right around the corner, so come on down for a show!</p> Learn more about penstemon by perusing the American Penstemon Society website</a>. </p> This blog post was contributed by Horticulturist Abigail McLennan</strong>.</em></p>
