Nymphaea alba (White Water Lily)

Nymphaea alba (White Water Lily) is a day-blooming aquatic perennial boasting rounded green leaves, up to 12 in. (30 cm). Floating on the surface of the water, they create a lovely backdrop for the large, slightly fragrant, white flowers. Cup-shaped at first, each blossom, up to 8 in. across (20 cm), becomes star-shaped with age and features several rows of pointed petals (12-28) surrounding a conspicuous bouquet of golden stamens. Blooming all summer, Nymphaea alba is a hardy nymphaea.

• Grows up to 4 in. tall (10 cm) and 3-5 ft. wide (90-150 cm). Alba is a large water lily and therefore needs plenty of room.
• Performs best in full sun in loamy soil in undisturbed water. Plant in a basket with the crown just below the soil surface and covered with pea shingle. Position the basket so that it is covered by 6-10 in. (15-25 cm) of water. Lower the plant to twice the initial planting depth when the plant is established. Feed during the growing season with a proprietary aquatic fertilizer.
• Deadhead and remove yellow leaves regularly.
• Keep an eye out for water-lily beetle, water lily aphid, brown china-mark moth, false leaf-mining midge, crown rot, brown spot and water lily leaf spot.
• Propagate by division of rhizomes or offsets in summer, place pots in shallow water until established.
• Native to North Africa, temperate Asia, Europe and tropical Asia.