Water lilies for the water garden or pond

July 22, 3:27 PMSF Gardening ExaminerChris McLaughlin

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(Photo by njchow)

When people mention ponds or water gardens, one of the first things they picture are water lilies and for good reason. Water lilies bear gorgeous flowers and are considered the queens of the water plants.

Different varieties of lily perform differently depending on the zone in which they're planted. Hardy water lilies can usually stay in the pond year round as long as temperatures don't get low enough to freeze their roots.

Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, hardy water lilies are a sure thing, while the tropical varieties may need to be brought indoors or into a green house during the cold months.

There are the tropical lilies that offer varieties that bloom in the day or at night. Most lilies like to be in still water in full sun, but also in an area where they are sheltered from wind and hard weather, as their leaves don't like to be jostled about. Because these plants are often purchased before they have flowers you'll get a fairly good idea of the size of the bloom by the size of the leaves.The flowers usually grow to about the same as their leaf size.

Hardy lilies can be planted in the water garden or pond when temperatures outdoors reach 60 degrees, but it's best to wait until 65 degrees or higher before putting out the tropicals. It's recommended all lilies be fertilized several times a season with a special fertilizer tablet developed for aquatic plants. Water lilies can be propagated by dividing the roots in the summertime.

Hardy Water Lily Varieties

• Fragrant Water Lily (Nymphaea odorata) - Fragrant 6 " white flowers summer to fall. Open in the morning through the afternoon. Zones 3-11.
• Aurora Water lily (Nymphaea 'Aurora') - Miniature water lily with 2-4" flowers change color as they mature. When first blooming, they're soft yellow or yellow-apricot. By day three, they're dark red. Good plant for small water gardens or ponds. Zones 3-11.
• Pink Sensation Water Lily (Nymphaea 'Pink Sensation') - Flowers prolifically with pink blossoms starting out in a cup shape and ending up as stars. Flowers are open until the late afternoon. Zones 3-11.
• Pygmy Water Lily (Nymphaea tetragona) - These little flowers are only 1-2" in diameter. They come in white, pink, and red. Another great variety for a small water garden. Zones 3-11.

Tropical Water Lily Varieties

• Cape Blue Water Lily (Nymphaea capensis) - These flowers are stunning at 8-10" in diameter, with their pale blue star shape. Zones 10-11.
• Mrs. George H. Pring Water Lily (Nymphaea ' Mrs. George H. Pring') - 8" off-white blossoms that are best suited to large water gardens or ponds. Zones 10-11.
• Red Flare Water Lily (Nymphaea 'Red Flare') - Deep mahogany flowers are up to 10" in diameter. They're fragrant night-bloomers. Zones 10-11.
• Missouri Water Lily (Nymphaea 'Missouri') - Creamy white, 12", fragrant flowers that bloom in the night. Zones 10-11.

Interested in more on water gardens? Check out Marginal plants for the water garden or pond and  Floating plants as algae control in the water garden or pond .

Chris McLaughlin can be reached at sfgardeningexaminer@gmail.com or her website The Savvy Plant. For more gardening articles by Chris go to Vegetable Gardener.com.