Water lily

Taking a walk along the shore of a lake or river, you can very often find a pure white shade of flowers that surround large leaves, similar to plates of green color. It seems that these flowers seem to float on the surface of the reservoir. These beautiful flowers are called water lilies, or, as they are otherwise called, nymphs. Although these names are not so common among conversations, you can often hear another name - water or water lily. But the water lily - most often this is the name of a simple egg capsule, very often found in the reservoirs of our country. Let's take a closer look at this beautiful and delicate flower.

Water lily: description of the plant

In the photo: white water lily

The flower got its name from the Latin origin of the nymphea thanks to a legend, more precisely in honor of the ancient Greek nymph, who, according to this legend, because of unhappy and unrequited love, plunged into the underwater world forever. And the very way of existence of this delicate flower prompts a fairy tale.

In most cultures, this water lily, which attracts flowers from the depths of river waters to the surface, is compared and associated with such fabulous creatures as nymphs and mermaids. In the culture of Ancient Egypt, special attention was paid to these flowers. Even artifacts with the image of this flower have survived.

Such a variety of this plant as the Nile water lily, which is most often called the lotus, was most often the motive for decorating the column capital of ancient Egyptian temples, for example, the complex at Karnak. Most likely, it is precisely because of its inflorescences with a rich yellow tint in the center that the blue lotus, which grows in the sacred waters of the Nile, was previously considered the repository of the mighty and main Sun God Ra.

It was believed that in the morning hours this God came out of this flower and illuminated the whole world, but at night he returned to the flower again. Even the ancient priests quite actively used the water lily in rituals associated with burial, precisely because of the mystical meaning of this flower. Dry water lily flowers were even found in the sarcophagus of the great pharaoh - Ramses II.

Naturally, the artists could not fail to notice this delicate flowering plant. The world-famous impressionist painter Claude Monet even wrote a whole series of canvases, where the main motif is an old pond, abundantly covered with beautiful pink water lilies.

Using water lilies

But it is worth noting that in addition to inspiration, these flowers can also bring ordinary practical, earthly benefits. For example, they are processed to obtain starch, which is found not only in the stems and leaves, but also in the underwater, rather fleshy roots of the nymph. In addition, this flower is quite edible. Its roots, young stems and flower ovaries are used in traditional Thai dishes.

Nymphaea can be eaten both fried and boiled. During the dry period, the Hindus are engaged in collecting dry stalks and leaves of this flower in dry reservoirs for livestock feed.

The water lily is widely used in folk medicine:

• A decoction of this flower is used as a cosmetic preparation to fight freckles, acne, skin inflammation and acne.
• Young stems and flowers contain sedatives and are used as a sedative.
• Nymphaea root tincture is used for indigestion.

It is worth noting the fact that the Egyptian water lily contains alkaloid aporphine, which has a psychedelic effect on a person, therefore it is banned in several countries, including Russia.

Water lilies are actively used by landscape designers and flower growers as an excellent decor for a reservoir. After all, it is not at all necessary to have a huge pond or lake in order to enjoy the splendor of these flowers; an artificially created reservoir of small size, for example, with an ordinary bath, is perfect for this.

Not only the inflorescences of these plants can be pleasing to the eye, but wide-sized leaves are also of great benefit to the reservoir. Floating on the surface, they can provide a sufficient amount of shade, and, thus, create an obstacle for the growth and development of microscopic algae. Thanks to this, the purity of the reservoir is maintained and water bloom does not occur.

Also, tropical varieties of nymphs can be perfect for decorating aquariums, but for this only the underwater leaves of water lilies are used, and the part of the plant that is above the water is completely removed. Moreover, most often, for decorating aquariums, they use varieties of water lilies with an unusual color of leaves, such as tiger and spotted.

Thanks to high-quality artificial lighting, intense pigmentation occurs, so the underwater part of the plant is no worse than the inflorescences in terms of its decorative qualities.

Water lily characteristic

If we consider these crops from a scientific point of view, then they are representatives of the water lily family, a genus of aquatic herbaceous perennials.

The most recognizable and frequently encountered representative of this family is the egg-capsule, as for the most famous of all, this is Victoria, in part due to its large leaves. This plant is very common in its natural environment, water lilies can be found in almost all corners of our earth, and there are about 50 species of water lilies in total.

Nymphs have a huge variety of flower shades, you can see inflorescences of pink, blue, white, blue, yellow and other colors. Common to the varieties of this plant is the structure of the foliage.

Their leaves are large, round, although they also have a sharp tip, their edges are serrated, or smooth, with a deep cut in the place where the leaf is attached to the stem. Leaves are pulled out from the root on elongated petioles and are located on the surface of the water. Although there are varieties of this plant, in which flowers and part of the foliage do not float on the surface of the reservoir, but rise and stay above the surface of the water on long and resilient stems.

Varieties of water lilies

There are many varieties of this wonderful plant. Some are described below.

White water lily

This plant has a second name, such as the European water white lily. This variety grows almost throughout Europe, but you can see it in some areas of the Middle East and North Africa, it is also found in India.

The flower has a large size and a fleshy root, which is located horizontally, almost on the surface of the underwater soil and can grow up to 65-70 centimeters long. The adventitious roots holding this plant deepen to about 30 centimeters.

This flower forms a bush with about 15-20 stems, flexible enough, which end in floating leaves on the surface of the water, round in shape, reaching a diameter of 25 centimeters. One such plant with its leaves can cover a water surface area of ​​up to 150 centimeters.

The flowering period occurs in the middle of the summer season and ends in August. This plant blooms with large-sized flowers of a snow-white shade and a core of yellow color. It is worth noting an interesting and unusual fact - there is the existence of such a subspecies of a white water lily as a red one.

This subspecies was found growing in Lake Fagertarn, which is located in Sweden. A large number of tourists who visit this lake almost brought this species to extinction, but the state intervened in time and the subspecies were able to be preserved and taken under protection.

White water lily

This variety can be found growing in the territory of Eurasia. It often grows in the European part of our country, Eastern and Western Siberia. You can also find this species in the reservoirs of Central Asia and Kazakhstan. It is believed that this plant is considered a subspecies of the white water lily, as it is very similar in appearance to it.

Blue water lily

This is the same famous sacred blue Egyptian lily or lotus. Initially, this plant could be found only along the sacred Nile, but over time, this flower began to grow in India, Thailand, East Africa. This species differs in rather wide leaves with a diameter of up to 40 centimeters, as well as flowers of a relatively small size, about 15 centimeters in diameter. The flowers of this plant can change shade from light blue to intense blue, and sometimes to purple.

Water lily lotus

Also a very famous flower, which can also be called the tiger lotus, white lotus and Egyptian white lily. Do not pay attention to the fact that the name of this water lily contains the word lotus, the plant has nothing to do with this genus.

The flower grows actively in East Africa, and can also be found in some reservoirs of Southeast Asia. This plant, although very thermophilic, can still be seen in Europe. Water lily lotus is considered a thermal species, therefore it grows in thermal reservoirs in Hungary and Romania.

The stems of this flower are quite elastic and can hold not only leaves, but also inflorescences, which bloom above the surface of the reservoir at a height of about 30-40 centimeters. The color of such inflorescences is white, but due to external conditions, it can change into a pink tint.

Cape water lily

South Africa is considered the birthplace of this plant. The most important difference of this flower is considered to be a high level of resistance to long dry periods. The root of this plant can even live for a certain amount of time in a completely dried reservoir, and as soon as the rainy season comes and the reservoir is completely filled with water again, this root will sprout again. It is due to its ability to survive that this plant has been distributed in other freshwater bodies, located in Florida and Australia.

This water lily is quite thermophilic and feels great in places with shallow depth, sufficient lighting and fairly clear water.

Painted water lily

The main habitat is the tropical part of East Africa. The inflorescences of this species have a purple color and leaves of a green tint, reaching a diameter of 25 centimeters, which form a large bush on the surface of the water. The main difference between this flower is considered to be a rather long flowering period, as well as the ability not to shed its petals when the air temperature drops to 18 degrees. This species gave rise to the production of fairly persistent and saturated shades of hybrids.

Mexican water lily

This species is found mainly in Mexico and southern waters located in the United States. This species has several other names, such as banana water lily and yellow. If there are suitable conditions, then this flower can take root perfectly.

The species reproduces remarkably and rather rapidly by both root stolons and seeds, and without much effort it actively spreads in a new growing area. Because of this, it can often be found in the swampy freshwater basin of California.

The inflorescences of this plant have a green-yellow tint and an intense orange color of the core. The leaves have a green color and a round shape, they float on the surface of the water part and most often have a brown-purple tint on the inside. The beginning of the flowering period of this flower falls on the summer season, but it has been noticed that in the hottest regions this flower can bloom in the spring season, and with the arrival of hot days, shed its flowers.

Giant water lily

This species is subtropical and grows in water bodies of New Guinea and Australia. It is distinguished by a large size of inflorescences of a blue-blue hue and a rich yellow core, as well as large round leaves with jagged edges, they can grow up to 80 centimeters in diameter.

Fragrant water lily

This plant grows almost throughout the North American continent. This flower can also be found under the name American water lily and fragrant. This water lily grows as actively in the United States as in Russia the white water lily. They are even very similar in appearance, this species also has inflorescences of white color and a core of a rich yellow hue, only a rather strong smell distinguishes it from our representative. American landscape designers and farmers are quite actively using it to decorate artificially created reservoirs.

Fluffy water lily

It is considered a tropical plant that can be found under the name pink water lily or hairy. This flower grows almost throughout Asia, captures countries such as Taiwan, Laos, Philippines, India, Vietnam, Thailand and Sri Lanka, and this water lily was also common in New Guinea and Australia. This tropical and thermophilic plant has a rather negative attitude towards air temperatures below 15 degrees. Feels great in reservoirs, where stagnant water and a low level of acidity prevail.

The leaves of this species are round in shape and have a diameter of up to 25 centimeters, as well as jagged and uneven edges. The lower part of the leaves, which is under water, has a coating similar to very fine hairs. The stems of this flower also have hairs. That is why the species was called fluffy, or otherwise hairy.

The inflorescences of this plant have a pink or snow-white hue, although sometimes you can find specimens with a purple or lilac color. This species can be used as a plant for aquariums, and for this the entire surface part of the plant is removed and only the underwater part of the flower remains.

Features of growing and care

Below we will tell you in detail how to care for a water lily.

Choosing the right variety

If there is a reservoir on your personal plot and you are going to decorate it, or for other purposes to grow a water lily, then you initially need to decide on the variety of this flower. If you lose sight of the decorative qualities and take into account only practical parameters, then first of all, when choosing a variety, they look at its size and level of resistance to cold.

Of course, according to these parameters, the best option would be those plants that grow in the nearest lake, pond or river. Most flower growers do this, because just transplanting a white water lily is much easier and less expensive. Although, if you want to see the most interesting and vibrant plant in your reservoir, then you can buy and grow some kind of frost-resistant tropical water lily hybrid.

After all, 200 years ago, a breeder from France D. Marliak decided to start crossing frost-resistant plants with tropical bright species in order to eventually get an excellent hybrid variety that can withstand a more severe climate. The result is more than 60 different varieties of this flower.But the breeding of new varieties did not end there, and now work on obtaining new subspecies is being carried out constantly, and all over the earth.

It is worth noting that, of course, not all subspecies are suitable for the Russian climate, but there are so many of them now that you can definitely choose the flower you need for yourself and for growing in your area.

The second point in importance is to look at the size of not only the flower, but also the reservoir where the water lily will grow. Often, dwarf varieties of this plant are used to decorate home aquariums, therefore, to grow such dwarfs on your site, you can use a rather small container, for them a sufficient water level of 30 centimeters is considered.

Naturally, for larger representatives, a large area of ​​the reservoir will be required, the depth of which will be about 60 centimeters to one meter. After all, the larger the water space, the better it will be for the water lily, since its leaves can occupy a pond area of ​​several meters. Now scientists have bred a large number of subspecies of this plant, which most often differ only in color.

The most common ones are:

• Masaniello. A perennial plant with round leaves with an emerald green color and large pink flowers with yellow stamens.
• Aurora. Variety with graceful orange-red inflorescences.
• Amabilis. The inflorescences of this variety have a star-shaped shape and a pink shade of petals, as well as large yellow stamens.
• Carbuncle. The flowers of this variety have a rather rich red-pink hue and have excellent decorative qualities.
• Rene Gerard. The flowers of this water lily have a pink tint and petals round in shape.
• Gladstoneian. Pure white flower with bright yellow stamens.
• Pygmy Halvola. It is considered a miniature subspecies with green-purple leaves and cream-colored flowers that can reach a diameter of only 5 centimeters.
• Fire Crest. The flowers are star-shaped and pale pink in color, as well as leaves of a dark emerald hue.
• Frobeli. The flowers of this variety have a deep red color and orange stamens.
• Ellisiana. A fairly compact subspecies with inflorescences of a rich red-pink color.
• Dawn in Texas. The inflorescences of this variety have a fairly large number of yellow petals and are endowed with a rich aroma.
• Pink Sensation. The inflorescences have a cupped shape and a pink shade of petals, as well as stamens of a rich yellow color.

Reproduction and planting of water lilies

In the photo: blue water lily

The best and easiest method to propagate this flower is division its root. And you can buy this plant in the store only as a root. It is only worth noting that this plant grows at a fairly rapid pace and when growing a water lily, you have to prune its roots in order to reduce the population.

Regardless of the variety of this flower, planting it should be done in the spring, before the arrival of the summer season, since then the water is already warm enough, the sunlight is also quite good, and it is quite good and easy to work in the fresh air.

Plus, after wintering, the root of the water lily has not yet released a large number of shoots, due to which the flower experiences almost no suffering. It is worth noting that there are two methods of planting a water lily.

Them are planted directly into the underwater soil or immersed in a reservoir, planted in a separate container. The method of planting a nymphea should be chosen based on whether a flower can grow in a given reservoir without interference from the outside.

Being in a reservoir all year round, including in winter, can only withstand a rather unpretentious and stable variety, and its roots should be placed at a sufficient depth, above the freezing level.

In this case, the white water lily growing in our country is able to withstand the complete freezing of water in winter, and with the arrival of the spring period and the melting of the ice, it will again release new shoots.

Landing in a separate container, which looks like a lattice structure, adds the most attention to the water lily:

• You need to get the container out of the water in order to feed the water lily with nutrients.
• In the spring, the container should be placed at a shallow depth, which is fully warmed up by the sun, in order to better stimulate growth.
• You should periodically remove the container from the water and take care of the water lily, for example, pruning a strongly overgrown root, trimming dead or damaged shoots, and removing various debris.
• Before the arrival of frost, you should take out the container for wintering, or lower it to such a depth that it does not freeze.

As soil for this plant it is not at all necessary to use natural soil, such as river silt, these flowers feel great and develop in a mixture of sand, organic humus of black soil. To prevent washing out of the soil with water, which is placed in the container, you should close the side holes with mesh material, and then cover with pebbles.

Regardless of the chosen method of planting a water lily, its root is placed on the soil surface, and so that the living buds look up, and then pressed down with some kind of load, such as a stone. After a certain amount of time, the plant will release adventitious roots, which will catch on to the soil and the formation of new shoots will begin.

How a water lily hibernates

Wintering is considered one of the most important stages in the cultivation of this plant, which depends on climatic conditions, the individual characteristics of the reservoir and the resistance of the flower.

When wintering directly in the reservoir itself, the water lily experiences a claim. To increase the chance of a good wintering, the best option would be to rearrange the container with the plant to a greater depth, usually from 100 centimeters, and after the ice has formed, the reservoir should be covered with a layer of thick snow.

If you cannot leave this plant for wintering in the reservoir itself, then the water lily root, together with the container and soil, is extracted from the water, packed in an airtight bag with water. At the same time, it is best to store this plant in the basement or cellar.

And be sure to make sure that the root system does not dry out, and it is also worth maintaining the air temperature at 5 degrees, approximately. In this form, the plant will wait for the arrival of the spring period, and after the water in the reservoir warms up, it should be placed on a shallow area and with sufficient lighting for the water lily to gain strength.

Diseases and pests

It is difficult enough to isolate any special dangerous pests and diseases for this plant. It can be attacked by pond snails, aphids and some other harmful insects.

To combat them, they constantly use the mechanical collection of these pests, as well as the treatment of open surface parts of the culture with insecticides.

Application in landscape design

Giant water lily: Photo

The most important task in the construction of an artificial reservoir in your area is that you need to think in advance how to fit it into the natural environment, otherwise you may end up with an ordinary and ridiculous pit filled with water. Therefore, the flora itself, the plant part of natural nature, will serve you as the best helper.

Perhaps the best option, giving an aristocratic and beautiful look to your reservoir, will be a nymphea. Indeed, it is true, it is difficult to imagine something more delicate and beautiful than the flowers of the noble lily covering the water surface of the reservoir.

This flower goes well with absolutely any plants that are planted along the banks of the pond, in addition to this water lily does not interfere with the life of fish at all. On the contrary, the leaves of this plant form a shade, which not only has a good effect on the purity of the water, but also provides some kind of shelter for underwater inhabitants.

But, despite all the advantages of this flower, you should still have a measure.You do not need to plant this plant all over the pond, the best option would be to find a water lily only on a third of the total area of ​​the reservoir. This option will look the most beautiful, thanks to the proportion of such a green part to clear water. Plus, compliance with this proportion will give each individual water lily the opportunity for good growth and development.

Conclusion

Keeping an artificial reservoir with these beautiful plants on your site is not an easy task, but thanks to this, you will not only get the experience of growing aquatic plants, but also admire such a wonderful sight as the swaying of exquisite and delicate flowers on the water surface, especially at sunset.