The illustrated growing guide
Water Lily
Nymphaea hybrids
Family Nymphaeaceae
Est. zones 3-11
The jewel of the water garden — floating flowers over lily pads, needing only a submerged pot of heavy soil, 6 hours of sun, and still water. Hardy types overwinter in the pond's deep end; tropicals bloom bigger and include fragrant night-bloomers but are treated as annuals in the North. Their pads shade the water, cooling it and starving algae. A half-barrel makes a patio water garden.
Full Sun
High water
Moderate growth
Attracts bees
From the print shop
The closest print we make
We don’t print Nymphaea hybrids. The closest we have is Nymphaea odorata (“Water Lily”) in the Pond & Water Garden collection — the same genus, Nymphaea, not the same species.
16 designsfrom $21.99white or black groundmatte poster, unframed
I
Overview
Will water lily suit your garden, and what goes wrong.
Will it thrive where you are?
Enter your ZIP — we look up your USDA hardiness zone (2023 map) and check it against what water lily actually needs.
Hardy inZones 3-11Water Lily at a glance
Common water lily problems
II
Growing
Light, water, soil, propagation and the season’s jobs.
How to grow water lily: light, water & soil
How to plant & propagate water lily
III
The year
What water lily asks for, month by month.
The water lily year, month by month
BloomWhat each band means
- Bloom — flowers open — pollinators working, frost on blossoms is the danger.
The water lily year as text
- Jan quiet month
- Feb quiet month
- Mar quiet month
- Apr quiet month
- May quiet month
- Jun bloom
- Jul bloom
- Aug bloom
- Sep quiet month
- Oct quiet month
- Nov quiet month
- Dec quiet month
These are the species' typical months — expect them a few weeks earlier in warm zones and later in cold ones. Watch the plant, not just the calendar.
IV
Ecology & uses
What it does for the garden, and what it is grown for.
Water Lily in the garden system
- Nectary/insectary
What water lily is grown for
✓ Not known to be toxic
Edibility, identification, and traditional-use notes here are general reference — not medical or veterinary advice, and not a claim that any plant treats or prevents anything. Medicinal ratings record how strongly a plant features in herbal tradition, nothing more. Never eat or dose a plant you have not positively identified. More on how to use this library.
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Cultivars
Named varieties of water lily, ruled as a catalogue.
Best water lily varieties & cultivars
Hardy 'Attraction' (red), 'Chromatella' (yellow); tropical 'Panama Pacific' (purple), night-blooming 'Red Flare'
VI
Sources & plant ID
Where the care distinctions come from, and how the plant is filed.
Research basis
Sources behind this profile
No extension citations are attached to water lilyyet. The care figures below come from the library's own catalogue rather than a traced primary source.
Plant ID
VII
Where to buy
Third-party nurseries — not Story Thyme Farms.
Third-party nurseries, not Story Thyme Farms. Prices are theirs.
Story Thyme Farms may earn a small commission from these links, at no cost to you — it never changes what we recommend.
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Questions
Water Lily questions, answered straight.
Is water lily safe for kids and pets?
Water Lily is commonly eaten and isn't considered toxic, but "commonly eaten" isn't a guarantee for any particular person or animal — allergies, quantity, and which part you eat all matter. Never eat a plant you haven't positively identified, and check with a vet before letting pets or livestock graze anything new.
How do you propagate water lily?
Division or seed.
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Elsewhere
Where water lily sits in the library.
Sunflower
Zinnia
Peony
Daylily