Water lilies, the favorite aquatic ones for garden

Yellow flower water lily

The Lily They are highly decorative aquatic plants: their large, fragrant, brightly colored flowers not only attract pollinating insects, but also attract the glances of humans who pass by.

But why include them in the garden design? What makes them so special?

Water lilies, much more than "simple" plants

White flower water lily

These plants are extraordinary, so much so that have been a symbol of many civilizations throughout the history of mankind, as for example in the Egyptian civilization. As they believed, the opening of the flowers was linked to the appearance of the sun god, called Ra, and Nefertum, the god of perfumes. In India, it symbolizes fertility, wealth, knowledge, divinity and enlightenment, as well as being associated with the goddess Maha Lakshmi, the goddess of abundance who provides generosity, purity and prosperity.

Thus, water lilies symbolize strength, because its leaves emerge from the stagnant waters, fighting against the force exerted by the precious liquid and the Earth's own gravity, opening its flowers at dawn when the star king, the one that gives us light and life, appears over the horizon.

As they are?

Water lily in pond

Our protagonists, belonging to the botanical genus Nymphaea, are plants native to Asia and Africa, where they grow in pools and lakes with almost permanently stagnant water. It has two types of leaves: the first ones that sprout when the seed germinates are very large; However, when it has developed enough, a second type of longer leaves sprout, which are the ones that will help them float.

The flowers, which sprout in summer, can be of different colors: yellow, white, pink. All varieties are fragrant and of considerable size: 30-35cm in diameter. They open for 4 or 5 days, enough time to be able to take a few photos of them.

The cultivation of water lilies

Pink flower water lily

If you dare to have one or more copies, take note of our advice:

  • Location: put them outside, in an area where they get direct sunlight.
  • Water temperature: the water must be warm, that is, neither too cold nor too warm.
  • Pruning: Dry leaves must be removed in order to avoid contamination of the water by decomposing organic matter.
  • Plantation: if the plant is small, it must first be placed 20-30cm above the level of the potting soil, which must be for aquatic plants (plastic, full of holes), with a sandy substrate (sand river, for example). As it grows, it will be lowered until it is about 60cm from the surface of the pot to the surface of the water.
  • Rusticity: most of the species support specific and short-term frosts of up to -2ºC.

Enjoy your water lilies.


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  1.   Stella munar said

    Good afternoon, I have a 25 × 10 meter water source pond, which presents the novelty that it fills with slime or algae due to the temperature we have in the region, between 27 and 30 degrees Celsius, can you recommend which aquatic plant floating I can plant in this pond in order to counteract or minimize the formation of these unwanted algae and also be able to plant fish

    Cordially,

    Stella munar

    1.    Monica Sanchez said

      Hi Stella.
      Of aquatic plants the truth is that I do not understand much. There are not many species that I know, but with that surface you can put water lilies and lotuses without problem.
      Then, to remove the algae, what I can think of is to add an anti-algae product.
      A greeting.