Tropical Lilies -- Why You're Missing Out

You already know water lilies are the quintessential pond plant. They've inspired artists for centuries (Monet built vast water gardens just to house this excellent subject!). 

There are hardy and tropical water lilies.  Hardy water lilies grow and bloom each year then go dormant in the fall and next spring grow again.  Tropical water lilies will not live in cold climates so they will need to be removed before winter.

But why are tropical lilies so great? Since they're annuals, you have to replace them every spring. Are they worth the hype?

YES!

Here are just a few of reasons to grab a tropical lily:

They bloom frequently. So much more than a hardy water lily.

Tropical lilies grow so quickly! They will produce so much foliage in just a few months -- you will be amazed. This gives great cover quickly for fish which means protection and shade.

Color -- this is why I love tropical lilies!  Tropical lily varieties come in so many more colors than hardy varieties.  Deep purple, light blue, vibrant pink -- these are all colors that you won't see in the hardy variety.

Compare the tropical in the foreground to

the hardy in the background. Oh my! The pads

and blooms are so much larger.

Blooms of tropical lilies are much larger and stand tall out of the water.

Some tropical lilies are fragrant!

Mottled leaves on this lily.

Some tropical water lily leaves (pads) have mottling, meaning they have different colors on each leaf. (I usually see this on the purple varieties.)  And the pads are huge -- plate size!

Some varieties bloom at night!  That's right, at night... Whereas a hardy lily will begin blooming in the morning and close up in the afternoon, night blooming water lilies open in late afternoon and close in the late morning.  How cool is it to sit by your pond in the evening and see blooming water lilies! (Not all tropical lilies grow like this -- only the night blooming variety.)

Night blooming lilies just starting

to close in the late morning.

Tropical lilies also bloom longer into the season.  They don't know they need to start going dormant in September and keep on blooming.  We have taken blooming tropical lilies out of our pond the week of Thanksgiving in the past!

Taking care of tropical lilies is easy as long as you plant them correctly.  They need to be planted in a large container or bag 14-16" wide.  Use aquatic soil or pea gravel to cover all the roots.  Fertilize with once a year fertilizer.  They benefit from the trimming off of dead pads and leaves a few times each summer.  They should be planted in water less than 12" -- they love the heat.  And keep in mind they will need lots of sun.

Are you thinking it's an expensive plant just to throw away at the end of the year?  Well, maybe... so do you plant annuals in your yard? Do you have beds of petunias, impatiens, begonias?  Do you have planters that you plant up annually and then discard at the end of the year?  What about hanging baskets?  Compare a tropical lily to those and it doesn't seem so expensive!

Try a tropical lily in your pond next summer.  We think you will love it!