Water Lily
Nymphaea spp.
Aquatic Plants Difficulty: Moderate
📖 About this plant
One of the most iconic aquatic plants, with large round floating leaves (lily pads) and stunning flowers that sit on or just above the water surface. Available in hardy and tropical varieties with colors ranging from white and pink to yellow and blue. Each flower opens in the morning and closes at night for 3-4 days.
🧑🌾 Care requirements
☀️
Light
Full sun (6-8 hrs)
💧
Water
Submerged in pond or container
💨
Humidity
N/A (fully aquatic)
🌡️
Temperature
18-30°C
🪴
Soil
Heavy loam or clay in aquatic planting baskets, submerged 30-60 cm below water surface
🧪
Fertilizer
Aquatic plant fertilizer tablets monthly during bloom season (spring through fall)
🌐 Common Names
HI
Hindi
कुमुदिनी
BN
Bengali
পদ্ম
MR
Marathi
कुमुदिनी
TE
Telugu
కమలం
TA
Tamil
தாமரை
GU
Gujarati
કમલ
UR
Urdu
کمل
KN
Kannada
ಕಮಲ
OR
Odia
କୁଆକୁଆଲ
ML
Malayalam
താമര
PA
Punjabi
ਕਮਲ
AS
Assamese
কমল
📋 Plant facts
- 🌍 Origin
- Worldwide — temperate and tropical regions on every continent
- 📏 Max height
- Leaves float on surface, flowers 10-20 cm above water
- 📐 Spread
- 60-180 cm
- 🕰️ Bloom time
- Summer - Fall
- 🎨 Bloom color
- White, Pink, Yellow
- 🍃 Foliage color
- Green
- ⏳ Lifespan
- Perennial
- 📈 Growth rate
- Moderate
- ☠️ Toxicity
- Non-toxic to fish and wildlife, all parts edible for some species
- 🌱 Propagation
- Division of rhizomes in early spring, seed germination for new varieties
🛡️ Health & Safety
🐾 Pet safe
✅ Non-toxic
Non-toxic to fish and wildlife, all parts edible for some species
Common issues
- Aphids on flowers and pads
- Crown rot from poor water circulation
- Leaves turning yellow from nutrient deficiency
- Division needed every 2-3 years to prevent overcrowding
💡 Care tips
- Plant rhizomes in aquatic baskets with heavy loam soil
- Fertilize monthly with aquatic plant tablets during bloom
- Remove dead leaves and spent flowers regularly
- Divide overcrowded plants every 2-3 years
🪴 Add to My Plants
One click — added instantly. Watering every 7 days, fertilizing every 30 days.
