Waterlily House

The Waterlily House was designed to exhibit the giant waterlily (Victoria amazonica) but the plant never thrived there. Today, one of its closest relatives, Victoria cruziana, inhabits the enclosed pond instead.

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Waterlily House

Waterlily House

Did you know?

  • One of several Victoria amazonica plants germinated at Kew in the mid-19th century was sent to architect Joseph Paxton. The structure of the waterlily’s leaf is said to have inspired his design for the Crystal Palace which housed the Great Exhibition of 1851.
  • Gourds were one of the earliest fruits to be domesticated by humans. They have been used for centuries to make cups and bowls, musical instruments and bird-houses. In Neolithic times gourd skins were used to replace missing portions of skulls during surgery.
  • Kew has many items made from gourds in its Economic Botany Collection.

Historical information

This small, elegant glasshouse is another of Kew’s classic listed buildings. Located opposite the northern entrance of the Palm House, its square glazed structure encloses a circular pond spanning 36 feet. It was completed in 1852 specifically to showcase the giant Amazon waterlily (now called Victoria amazonica), which had first been encountered by European botanists in South America at the beginning of the 19th century. With ironwork by Richard Turner who had built the Palm House in the preceding decade, the Waterlily House was at the time the widest single-span glasshouse in the world.

 

Although other waterlilies and lotus thrived in the new house, its intended inhabitant fared less well. Within six years the V. amazonica was dwelling elsewhere and the Waterlily House became a tropical habitat displaying red, white and blue waterlilies, ferns, papyrus and hanging gourds. When Joseph Hooker became director of Kew in 1865 he replanted the glasshouse to showcase plants of medicinal and culinary value. It was not converted to its original use until 1991. Today it is Kew’s hottest and most humid environment, housing a wide range of tropical ornamental aquatic plants and climbers.

Conservation and restoration

The Waterlily House suffered extensive damage during wartime. In 1965 its roof glazing pattern and ventilators were altered and in 1991 its alloy glazing bars were replaced with stainless steel ones.

Things to look out for

In the summer a giant Victoria cruziana waterlily blooms. European botanists first encountered this plant, together with V. amazonica, in Bolivia in 1801. Both plants were subsequently named after Queen Victoria. The huge leaves of V. cruziana have protruding ribs on the underside which trap air and so provide buoyancy. The flowers that only last for 48 hours are large and fragrant. They start out white then darken to pink and purple before sinking beneath the surface of the water.

The Waterlily House is also home to a collection of gourds. These climbing plants are members of the Cucurbitaceae family, along with cucumbers, melons and marrows. The species grown depend on the seed available. Some recent exhibits include the wax gourd (Benincasa hispida) and the spiny-fruited hedgehog gourd (Cucumis metuliferous). The former has a layer covering its mature fruits that is used in Asia to make candles. Its fruits are also often cooked to make vegetable curry. The latter has reddish fruits filled with seeds in a jelly-like pulp. It is grown commercially in New Zealand and marketed as ‘Kiwiano’, following the success of the kiwi fruit.

13 comments on 'Waterlily House'

Kew feedback team says

03/05/2013 9:58:07 AM | Report abuse

Hi Anton, the lotus flowers between approximately June and August. Enjoy your visit!

A Parker says

01/05/2013 1:39:27 PM | Report abuse

At what time of year does your lotus flower? Thank you

Kew feedback team says

13/03/2013 4:46:03 PM | Report abuse

Hi Patrick, we thoroughly recommend a visit to Kew Gardens this spring including a visit to the Waterlily House which reopens on 29 March. We regret that for both health and safety reasons and to protect Kew’s valuable collection of living plants, we cannot allow children to pose for photographs on the leaves of the Victoria amazonica (giant waterlily).

Patrick Ford says

13/03/2013 10:16:15 AM | Report abuse

We have a 4.5 yr old daughter and clearly at that age she has a fascination with all things natural. We live in Hampshire, so a trip to Kew would be a day trip. Do you think it would be justified to come before the summer, perhaps combining the spring blossoms with the glass houses, in particular the lilly houses. On that note would be it be at all possible, when the pads have grown, to have a picture taken of our daughter, sitting on one of the pads?

Konrad says

11/07/2012 10:55:34 AM | Report abuse

I visited the waterlily house yesterday (sheltering from the rain!) and noticed that a couple of the lily pads had flipped over. I was wondering how this happens, is it natural or perhaps man-made to illustrate the structure of the pads?

Feedback team says

19/03/2012 10:19:31 AM | Report abuse

Hi Vicki, thanks for getting in touch. The Waterlily House reopens on 31 March 2012.

Vicki Knight says

16/03/2012 6:45:53 PM | Report abuse

Has the waterlily house reopened yet? Thanks

Kew Feedback Team says

20/09/2011 12:14:52 PM | Report abuse

Thanks for posting this question Helen. The species name that you are looking for is Ludwigia sedoides.

Helen Beaumont says

05/09/2011 2:07:40 PM | Report abuse

Please what's the waterlily at the far end of the pond away from the entrance that has lots of small leaves in a fibonacci-like pattern. Ludwigia ?, but there are lots of ludwigias.

Feedback Team says

26/07/2010 12:00:00 AM | Report abuse

Thanks for your comment Ian. Here's a list of the chilli species in the Waterlily House. Capsicum 'Chain fair', Capsicum 'Purple Tiger', Capsicum 'Prairie Fire' and Capsicum 'Bangkok upright'.

Ian Wilkinson says

25/07/2010 12:00:00 AM | Report abuse

What chillis are growing in the Waterlily House? They didn't seem to be labelled.

Jacqueline Wharton says

15/07/2010 12:00:00 AM | Report abuse

The Waterlily house is one of my absolute favourite places - it is full with so many unusual and diverse plants - I could stay all day - only it's too hot! I tell everyone about it and insist they MUST visit it.

W E Stokes says

16/06/2010 12:00:00 AM | Report abuse

Visited on 15th June - quite the most stunning, beautiful and tranquil location. All that is needed is Jeremy Fisher!

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