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5 plants worth knowing

Guyana

Guyana is one of the most forested countries on Earth – humid equatorial forests cover more than three-quarters of its area. The narrow coastal plain, partly below sea level and protected by dykes, contrasts with the Rupununi savannas in the south and with the Pakaraima Mountains and plateaus from which waterfalls plunge, such as the famous Kaieteur.

Hover over a plant to see on the map where it grows.

where it grows

  1. Amazon water lily 1

    aquatic plant · National flower of Guyana; on the country’s coat of arms

    Amazon water lily

    Victoria amazonica

    The world’s largest water lily – its round leaves reach 3 m across, and over two nights its flower turns from white to pink.
  2. Greenheart 2

    tree

    Greenheart

    Chlorocardium rodiei

    Wood so hard and heavy that it sinks and shipworms cannot touch it – Guyanese greenheart built the ports and locks of Europe.
  3. Sugarcane 3

    crop

    Sugarcane

    Saccharum officinarum

    The Guyanese region of Demerara gave its name to the brown sugar found in cafés all over the world.
  4. Brocchinia micrantha 4

    herbaceous plant

    Brocchinia micrantha

    Brocchinia micrantha

    A giant bromeliad above Kaieteur Falls – tiny golden frogs live in the water collected in its leaves.
  5. Mora 5

    tree

    Mora

    Mora excelsa

    A giant of Guyana’s riverside forests – mora forms whole stands in which almost no other tree grows.