This gorgeous aquatic plant has a fascinating cultural history and continues to enthrall us.
Read on to learn more about these fascinating plants.
BHG / Mira Norian
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Credit:BHG / Mira Norian
Sometimes the blossoms on hardy varieties change shades as they age.
Even theleaf colors vary from deep green to rich burgundy.
Alsobecause they rest on the water’s surfacethe flowers and pads shade the water below.
Credit: Dean Schoeppner
It’s the center of their bloom season.
Water lilies bloom year-round in frost-free regionsbut you still have to be lucky to catch a bloom.
Each flower lasts only about four days before sinking and decomposing under the water.
Credit: Bob Stefko
The water lily’s beauty is short-lived, but that makes it even more special.
About 60 species of water lilies inhabit ponds, lakes, and streams all over the world.
Buddhists also believe that the water lily represents enlightenment because a beautiful bloom emerges from the dark mud.
They grow via rhizomes and need about six hours of direct sunlight daily to flower.
Water lilies are from the genusNymphaea, a collection of both tender and hardy aquatic plants.
Water lilies can live for 15 to 20 years (or even longer) in the right conditions.
Water Lilies for the Home Gardener.
Xiong, Xianghui et al.
Water lily research: Past, present, and future.Tropical Plants, vol.
1, 2023. doi:10.48130/TP-2023-0001
Introduction to the Nymphaeales.
University of California Museum of Paleontology.
“Water Lily-Kenilworth Park & Aquatic Gardens.”
“Weed Alert - Fragrant Water Lily.”
King County Noxious Weed Control ProgramWashington State Noxious Weed Control Board.
