New giant water lily discovered through Instagram and satellite imagery
Researchers have described a new species in Colombia that may number only a few dozen wild specimens.
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A photograph on Instagram put researchers on the trail of an unknown giant water lily in Colombia. Satellite imagery and knowledge from local Indigenous communities then helped them describe the species scientifically.
The new species is called Victoria colombiana and grows in the upper reaches of the Orinoco, in the region around the Inírida River. The description appeared this week in the botanical journal Phytotaxa. The plant has thus formally been included in the genus Victoria, which also contains other well-known giant water lilies.
The discovery began about five years ago with photographs by Jeremiah Harris, an American grower of carnivorous plants. He posted images of the large leaves on Instagram and initially identified the plant as Victoria amazonica. Carlos Magdalena of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, noticed that the location did not match the known distribution of that species.
Magdalena then examined satellite imagery of the Inírida and surrounding lakes. On some images, the large leaves were visible on the water. Researchers from Kew and Bogotá’s botanical centre prepared an expedition together with members of local Indigenous communities.
The expedition eventually found seven plants in two lakes, including one specimen with a flower. That was important because, for a formal species description, botanists compare characteristics of the flower and other plant parts with material in herbaria. The researchers also used differences in shape, spines and distribution to distinguish the species from related water lilies.
The leaves of Victoria colombiana can grow to about two metres across, according to the researchers. The species is therefore notably large, but the known population is small. Kew estimates that there are between thirty and fifty specimens in the wild. That estimate is provisional: satellite imagery may help find more growing sites.
The researchers are working towards an assessment for the IUCN Red List. Possible conservation measures include collecting seeds, growing the plants in botanical gardens and protecting a more accessible lake within the Indigenous territory. The publication is a scientific species description, not evidence that the total population has already been fully mapped.
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The key facts can be traced back to the species description and Kew’s explanation. The population estimate is presented as provisional.
- confirmed Victoria colombiana was described as a new species in Phytotaxa this week. — The publication appears in Phytotaxa, volume 778, issue 2, with a publication date of 7 October 2026. source
- confirmed The discovery began with an Instagram photograph and was followed by research using satellite imagery. — Kew describes both the Instagram photograph and the satellite analysis. source
- confirmed The researchers documented seven plants in two lakes. — This is stated in Kew’s field description. source
- confirmed There are an estimated thirty to fifty specimens in the wild. — Kew attributes this estimate to the research team. source
Editor's note
The species description was published in Phytotaxa. The figure of thirty to fifty wild plants is a provisional estimate by the research team and not yet a formal IUCN assessment.Sources
- New giant waterlily species described after chance Instagram sighting — Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
- Discovery of a new species of Victoria in the Orinoco watershed of Colombia — Phytotaxa
- Victoria colombiana: descubren nueva especie del emblemático lirio de agua gigante — El País América Colombia