Giant water lilies finally hatched in Paraguay after several months of drought in February 2021. (illustration) -
Jorge Saenz / AP / SIPA
They are back.
Paraguay's famous giant water lilies hatched after heavy rains near Asunción.
Native to the Amazon, the rare
Victoria cruziana
, or “Yacaré Irupé”, is the largest floating aquatic plant in the world.
Its spectacular apple-green leaves, up to 1.5 m in diameter, reappear every three years in the shallow lagoons of a loop in the Paraguay River, 30 km from the capital.
To better admire them, tourists and enthusiasts rent boats for a ride on these calm waters where caimans sometimes evolve.
Drought drains pollution
This water lily is a “very fragile” plant, explains Cristina Nuñez, owner of a spa in the region.
“When the time comes for flowering, it comes to the surface and blooms very quickly.
And this is the moment when we become a center of tourist attraction for about a month.
"
But the survival of this plant is threatened by climate change and pollution.
Two kilometers away, a small lake was tinged red a few months ago following pollution caused by a cattle slaughterhouse.
Fortunately, the long drought of 2020 helped stem pollution and the spread of bacteria.
“The drought bothers a lot of people,” explains biochemist Mirtha Ruiz Diaz.
We, she favored us to put an end to this pollution.
[…] The plants grew and, in the process, the Irupés hatched.
The flowers of these water lilies only open at night.
They are white the first evening and turn pink then red in twenty-four hours before quickly fading.
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