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White water lily with round floating leaves on a calm pond surfaceAquatic plants

Nymphaea alba

White Water Lily

water lilypond plantwhite flowersfloating plantpond garden

The white water lily is an iconic aquatic plant with large, round floating leaves and elegant white flowers that rest on the water surface. The blooms open in the morning and close in the afternoon, from June through September. The plant provides shade and shelter for fish and amphibians beneath its leaves.

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Before
After

Characteristics

Sun
Full sun
Water
High
Height
10–15 cm
Spread
100–200 cm
Hardiness zone
4–10
Family
Nymphaeaceae
Evergreen
No
Flower colors
white
Wildlife value
frogs, dragonflies, fish

Bloom period

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Care guide

Plant in still or slow-moving water at a depth of 40 to 100 centimetres in a pond basket filled with heavy clay soil. Water lilies need at least five hours of direct sunlight per day. Remove dead leaves regularly to keep the water clean. Fertilize in spring with special aquatic plant tablets.

Pruning tips

Cut away yellowed and dead leaves regularly below the waterline. Remove spent flowers to encourage the plant to form new buds. Thin the plant in spring if the floating leaves cover more than two-thirds of the water surface.

Good companions

Finely divided green fronds of the soft shield fern in a shady borderFerns

Polystichum setiferum

Soft Shield Fern

The soft shield fern is an elegant, evergreen fern with finely divided, soft green fronds that arch gracefully outwards. The plant forms a beautiful rosette and fits perfectly in shady borders and woodland gardens. Mature specimens can reach up to 120 centimetres across.

Partial shadeMedium
Blue-purple flower spikes of bugleweed as ground cover in shadeGround cover

Ajuga reptans

Bugleweed

Bugleweed is a robust ground cover that spreads rapidly through runners. From April to June, dense spikes of blue-purple flowers rise above the dark green, glossy foliage. The plant is evergreen and forms a continuous carpet within a single growing season.

Partial shadeMedium10–20 cm
Soft bottlebrush-like plumes of fountain grass in warm backlightOrnamental grasses

Pennisetum alopecuroides

Fountain Grass

Fountain grass is an elegant ornamental grass that produces soft, bottlebrush-like plumes from August to October. The grass forms a dense, mound-shaped tussock and looks its best when backlit, with sunlight filtering through the feathery plumes. The flower heads and foliage turn warm golden-brown in autumn.

Full sunLow60–120 cm