Giant Amazonian lily pads are the world’s largest and strongest floating plants. How they’re built is inspiring real-world structures from skyscrapers to wind turbines.

They're not your typical pond lily pads, either. They're the Gardens' power players, ... "In 2021, we were just curious how much our massive water lily leaves could hold," Bird said.

Right now, Edinburgh has taken the lead: Their lily held 105.8 pounds (or as they measure across the pond, 48 kilograms). The lucky winner will take home the grand prize – a water lily trophy ...