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Nymphaeaceae
Water Lily
Nymphaea
Purity, enlightenment, rebirth, peace, divine beauty.
- Family
- Nymphaeaceae
- Genus
- Nymphaea
- Native to
- Worldwide except Antarctica
- Bloom season
- Summer
- Type
- aquatic perennial
- Height
- Floating; flowers 5–25 cm above water
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil
- Rich clay loam under water
- Water
- Aquatic (still or slow-moving water 30–90 cm deep)
- Hardiness
- 3–11 (varies by species)
- Lifespan
- Perennial; some plants live decades
Did you know
- Claude Monet planted his famous water lily pond at Giverny in 1893 and painted it for nearly 30 years, producing around 250 water lily canvases.
- Water lily flowers open in the morning and close at dusk, repeating the cycle for 3–5 days before sinking back underwater to set seed.
- The genus name 'Nymphaea' comes from the Greek nymphs, the water-spirits of mythology.
- The world's largest water lily, Victoria amazonica, has leaves up to 3 m across and strong enough to support a small child.
- Ancient Egyptians considered the blue water lily (Nymphaea caerulea) sacred — it appears in countless tomb paintings as a symbol of rebirth.