Do Water Lily Flowers Grow in Clusters?

Tropical

• Each tropical lily flower is on its own long stem. They do not cluster. Each plant may produce several flowers at one time. Tropical lilies are not cold hardy and die if left in the water during cold winters. Replace every year or remove the lily tubers before the weather turns. Clean off leaves and put in wet sand. Tropical lilies bloom in blue and purple as well as the same colors as hardy lilies. Tropical lilies do have night blooming and highly fragrant varieties.

Hardy

• Hardy water lilies do not cluster. Like tropical water lilies, each flower is on its own stem. The flowers stay open three days and close at night. When they're finished blooming, the closed spent flower drops to the bottom of the pond. Hardy water lilies bloom in pinks, white, yellows, reds and oranges. They do not bloom at night and have only a faint scent.

Pygmy or Dwarf

• These lilies do not cluster. The flowers and pads are smaller than tropical or hardy water lilies. They also tolerate a shallower depth for planting than either tropical or hardy lilies. Most water lilies, including dwarf or pygmy, prefer still water rather than water agitated by a waterfall or fountain.

Propagation and Care

• Water lilies propagate through producing seed and through rhizomes. Home gardeners can produce their own new hybrid water lilies through artificially pollinating the flowers and capturing the seeds. Lilies need a minimum of six hours of direct sunlight a day to bloom. Remove spent blossoms and yellowing leaves if your pond is small. The debris will affect the water quality if the pond isn't big enough.