Aquatic Tropical Plants

Sites with Full to Partial Shade

• Umbrella plant “Variegatus” (Cyperus alternifolius “Variegatus”) and water fern (Ceratopteris pteridioides) are aquatic tropical plants that grow in sites with full to partial shade. “Variegatus” performs well in standing water up to 4 inches deep in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 through 10. It grows like a clump of grass 12 to 24 inches tall and puts out greenish-brown blossoms in July to August. Water fern floats atop still water or roots into shallow mud. This perennial grows 8 to 18 inches tall in USDA zones 9 through 11.

Sites with Full Sun

• Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) and Victoria water lily (Victoria amazonica) perform best in sites with full sun. Water hyacinth is a free-floating plant bearing lilac flowers atop stems 6 to 8 inches tall in June to September. This potentially invasive perennial grows in USDA zones 9 to 11. Victoria water lily grows in still water 12 to 36 inches deep and stands 6 to 12 inches tall in USDA zones 10 through 11. Its unusual plate-like foliage spreads 9 to 12 inches wide, edged by a rim 2 to 4 inches high, and its pineapple-scented, night-blooming flowers emerge white, mature to pinkish and then turn rose-purple.

Fragrant Flowers

• Egyptian blue water lily (Nymphaea caerulea) and spider lily (Hymenocallis liriosme) are aquatic tropical plants that beget fragrant flowers. Egyptian blue water lily grows in still water 9 to 16 inches deep and stands 8 to 12 inches tall. This perennial’s light-blue blossoms appear in July to September in USDA zones 10 through 12. Spider lily performs well in swamps with up to 2 inches of standing water and grows 18 to 24 inches tall in USDA zones 7 through 10. This bulb’s eye-catching white flowers bloom in July to August.

Tolerates High Humidity and Occasional Drought

• Blue shade (Ruellia squarrosa) and Mexican petunia “Katie” ( Ruellia brittoniana "Katie") are ideal aquatic tropical plants for climates featuring high humidity and sites that occasionally dry out in USDA zones 8 through 10. Blue shade grows 8 to 12 inches tall with its crown covered by 2 to 3 inches of standing water. This perennial’s violet-blue blossoms come out seasonally amid evergreen foliage. “Katie” grows 6 to 8 inches tall in up to 6 inches of standing water and can become invasive. Also tolerant of high heat, it begets bluish-purple flowers in June to September.