Tropical Water Lilies
     Information & Care

Tropical water lilies should be treated as annuals. Tropical water lilies have huge flowers (up to 12" across); their perfume permeates throughout the entire garden. They also have more blooms and a longer blooming season than hardy varieties. Tropical water lilies are not available until June when the water has warmed to about 20°C (70°F). Cold water is likely to cause the young plants to become dormant.

Plants are sold in 5" pots, ready to transplant into an 18L (1 cu. ft.) container or larger, so there is little, if any, setback. We don't recommend planting them in pre-excavated lily pockets in gravel bottomed Aquascape ponds; otherwise it can get quite messy when it comes time to move them in and out of the pond in spring and fall. They are best left in pots.

Day Bloomers

Day blooming tropical lilies open from midmorning until late afternoon and night blooming lilies open at dusk and close mid morning when the sun is bright. However, night bloomers may remain open on cloudy days.

Night Bloomers

Night bloomers are slow to start blooming. They need more sun than day blooming tropical lilies. Start with only 4" of water over the crown of the plant for the first month, then lower to 6-8".

Overwintering

When brought indoors, tropical water lilies continue to grow during the winter months and must receive sunlight and heat. Growth slows considerably in December and January when there is very little sunlight and the leaves will become yellow and small. Most people treat tropical water lilies as annuals due to the considerable effort required for their continual growth.

Method:

Before the first heavy frost in your area, bring the tropical lily indoors to a heated greenhouse or sunroom. Place the containers in a tank, fertilize sparingly and ensure water temperature will not fall below 21°C (70°F). This will prevent the lily from going into a dormant state even though growth slows considerably. The following spring when the pond water temperature has warmed to a consistent 21°C (70°F), in early June, place the lily back in your pond.

Tropical Water Lilies available June 1st - Sept 30th