Missouri water lily holds 142 pounds of sandbags, wins worldwide contest

Victoria water lilies are among the largest in the world, spanning up to 10 feet in the Amazon rainforest with sturdy leaf pads that can easily suppor...

Victoria water lilies are among the largest in the world, spanning up to 10 feet in the Amazon rainforest with sturdy leaf pads that can easily support a small child.

It turns out the strongest ones can support an adult-size person, too.

In a contest of brute strength and stability, one of the giant floating wonders in Missouri held a whopping 142 pounds of sand.

"They really look like they’re from an alien planet,” said Greta Berg, a horticulturist at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis, which took home the top prize in a recent water lily strength contest.

In the United States, more than a dozen botanical gardens have Victoria water lilies, including Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens in D.C., Brookgreen Gardens near Myrtle Beach, S.C., Longwood Gardens near Philadelphia and Denver Botanic Gardens.