Water Lily Species

Tropical and Hardy Species

• For cultivation purposes, water lilies and their hybrids can be divided into tropical and hardy species. Tropical water lilies are more susceptible to cold damage, and their tubers need to be stored during the winter in frost-prone areas. Tropical species tend to have thin leaves and flowers that stand up out of the water while hardy species have leathery leaves and flowers that float on the surface. Tropical species also grow from a central crown while hardy species grow from multiple points along their rhizome.

Amazon Giants

• The giant water lily (Victoria amazonica) is the largest species in the world. Its leaves can be more than 8 feet across with more than 40 leaves per plant. The leaves have an upturned rim and a waxy coating to repel water. They trap air under ribs on their undersides to increase buoyancy. The leaves can support a weight of almost 100 pounds. The giant water lily is native to the Amazon Basin and other parts of South America.

Rwandan Pygmy

• The thermal lily (Nymphaea thermarum) grows only in hot springs in its native Rwanda. It was discovered in 1987 and believed to have died out in the wild in 2008. The thermal lily is the smallest known water lily species with leaves only a couple of inches across. It is also unusual as it grows in the mud on the edge of hot springs rather than floating on the surface of the water. The species has been bred successfully in captivity.

Fragrant Native

• The American white water lily, or fragrant water lily (Nymphaea odorata), is among the most common American native species. The floating leaves can be 10 inches across and the white flowers, with a yellow center, up to 6 inches across. It ranges across the eastern United States and has been widely introduced into the west.