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AquaPlantA Diagnostics Tool for Pond Plants and Algae
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Water Lily

Nymphaea spp. 

Water Lily Locations in North America
Water Lily Locations in Southeast US

white_water_lily
water lily covering water in an area

mexican water lily flower
mexican water lily drawing

USDA, NRCS. 2018. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 28 March 2018). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA.
Illustration courtesy of University of Florida/IFAS Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants. Used with permission.

What is Water Lily?

Physical Characteristics

Leaves:

  • Oval-shaped
  • Fleshy
  • Green on top
  • Purple or red on bottom

Flowers:

  • Found above water
  • Many colored

Stem:

  • Fleshy rhizomes

Where Does it Grow?

Water lily can be found in ponds, lakes, slow streams and ditches.

Pros and Cons of Water Lily

Submerged portions of all aquatic plants provide habitats for many micro and macro invertebrates. These invertebrates in turn are used as food by fish and other wildlife species (e.g. amphibians, reptiles, ducks, etc.). After aquatic plants die, their decomposition by bacteria and fungi provides food (called “detritus”) for many aquatic invertebrates.

What Type of Water Lily Do I Have?

There are three common types of water lilies in North America. Click on the buttons to learn more about each species.

Nymphaea mexicana
Nymphaea elegans
Nymphaea odorata
How to Manage This Plant
Plant Glossary

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Photo Credits: The majority of the aquatic plant line drawings are the copyright of the University of Florida Center for Aquatic Plants (Gainsville). They are used with permission.

Aquatic plant photographs were provided by David Bayne, Jim Davis, Kelly Duffie, Billy Higginbotham, Michael Masser, John Clayton, Chetta Owens, Diane Smith, Joe Snow, Don Steinbach, Bridget Robinson Lassiter and Peter Woods.

You may use these photos, so long as you give credit to AquaPlant.

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