Birmingham Botanical Gardens is bringing its fascinating 175-year waterlily heritage to life as part of this year’s International Day of Birmingham.
The gardens will be transforming Birmingham Council House’s Glass Corridor from 24th – 25th September to shine a spotlight on its historic Lily House and its extraordinary relationship with these remarkable plants.
Brummies can discover the story of the Victoria amazonica waterlily, first gifted to the Gardens by renowned Victorian horticulturist Joseph Paxton in 1852. Its arrival inspired the creation of a purpose-built Lily Glasshouse, complete with a 24-foot pool designed to recreate the plant’s tropical habitat. The building was rebuilt in 1904 and later reconstructed to its original design and renamed the Tropical House in 1977.
Almost 100 years after its earlier cultivation, the giant waterlily returned to Birmingham Botanical Gardens in 2024, marking an exciting new chapter in this botanical legacy. Led by Senior Glasshouse Horticulturalist Alberto Trinco, the reintroduction project saw the team grow Victoria cruziana, a giant waterlily species selected for its greater tolerance of cooler British conditions, from seeds generously donated by Cambridge Botanic Garden.
On display will be real-life giant waterlily leaves, as well as fascinating photographs from 1910 capturing two girls balancing on the enormous leaves of the Victoria amazonica in the glasshouse. Visitors will have the opportunity to step into Birmingham’s botanical history by recreating these photos for themselves to celebrate the city’s extraordinary botanical heritage.
Proud brummies celebrating the International Day of Birmingham can expect:
- See the unveiling of a new interactive artwork by local artist and illustrator, Emily Birch inspired by the garden’s famous waterlily.
- Step into a historic 1920s photograph, climb aboard a giant waterlily and recreate the pose with a Brummie twist!
- Enjoy a lush display of aquatic and glasshouse plants, including a real giant waterlily leaf up close.
- Learn more about the city’s botanical past, present and future, and enjoy the green scenery of the pop-up Gardens.
- Learn more about the Garden’s ‘Growing Our Green Heritage Project’ which aims to restore the Glasshouse estate to its former magnificence and improve key visitor spaces and facilities, as well as finding out how you can make a donation.
Alberto Trinco, Senior Glasshouse Horticulturist at Birmingham Botanical Gardens, said: “Giant waterlilies have fascinated visitors at Birmingham Botanical Gardens for generations, dating all the way back to the 1850s. We’re excited to be showcasing the horticultural skill and knowledge that goes into growing these remarkable plants and giving visitors the chance to see a giant waterlily up close.”
Sara Blair Manning, CEO at Birmingham Botanical Gardens, commented: “Our International Day of Birmingham takeover is the perfect opportunity to learn more about one of our most iconic plants with a Brummie twist, because us Brummies always do things differently!”
Emily Birch, Illustrator, commented: “I’m incredibly grateful to have had the opportunity to bring this beautiful, historic photograph of the giant waterlily to the modern day through the use of colourful illustrations. I’ve had a lot of fun trying to capture the greenhouses as they are today and give them some Brummie magic ready for the festival!”
To find out more about Birmingham Botanical Gardens visit, https://birminghambotanicalgardens.org.uk/