Nymphaea Lactea - Waterlily

Nymphaea 'Lactea' is a beautiful, medium-sized variety of hardy water lily that will delight collectors with a very simple, yet remarkable, opalescent flower. The plant is not very floriferous, but each flower is worth waiting for. The leaves of this water lily range from reddish-brown to green with a red border and are well grouped and decorative throughout the season. This variety deserves to be showcased in a small pond near the house.

The hybrid water lily 'Lactea' is a horticultural creation by Joseph Bory Latour-Marliac (France) dating back to 1907. It is an aquatic perennial with deciduous foliage that belongs to the Nymphaeaceae family. This plant develops numerous floating leaves from spring, measuring 16 to 18 cm in diameter in mature plants. The leaves are round with 2 lobes sometimes overlapping. When young, they are reddish-brown, then turn green with a red border. The plant has medium vigour and spreads over 75 to 90 cm. The not very abundant flowering usually begins in June and continues until September. The cup-shaped flowers measure between 10 and 12 cm in diameter. Their petals are surprisingly wide and have a light pink hue at the base. The flower is set in green sepals, and the centre is adorned with bright yellow stamens. These flowers are usually floating but occasionally bloom at the top of short peduncles just above the surface. They open during the day and close in the evening. Each flower lives for 4 to 5 days before wilting and receding underwater to be replaced by another flower. The flowering is followed by fruits containing numerous seeds. The fruit ripens underwater and releases floating seeds that will eventually sink and germinate in the mud. Water lilies are hardy as long as their rhizome does not freeze in winter. It is important to ensure that the water does not freeze at the depth where they are planted.

Choose varieties of water lilies that are easy, hardy, and floriferous, and above all, ones that are proportionate to your pond. Water lilies with their perfectly shaped flowers are among the most beautiful perennial pond plants. Most of them bloom for long weeks, until early autumn. The water lily is an essential aquatic plant for maintaining the balance of a garden pond, as it contributes to the oxygenation of the water. Its floating leaves provide shade and shelter for your fish, which in turn protect them from predatory insects such as aphids.

The genus name comes from the Greek nymphaia and the Latin name nymphaea, which means "water lily", inspired by the nymphs of Greek and Latin mythology. Nymphaea bears flowers that are sometimes diurnal, sometimes nocturnal, and occasionally fragrant.