Water Lily

Nymphaea Froebelii

• Position: full sun
• Depth of water: 45-75cm (18-30in)
• Rate of growth: average
• Ultimate spread: 90cm (36in)
• Height above surface: 0-10cm (0-4in)
• Flowering period: June to September
• Hardiness: fully hardy

  
  Showy, cup-shaped burgundy-red flowers up to 12cm (5in) across with orange centres appear from June to September. The round, pale green leaves are bronze-tinted when young. This popular, red water lily is one of our recommended plants, since it's ideal for a small pond. It is best planted at a depth of 45-75cm (18-30in). The shade cast by the foliage also helps to check the spread of algae.

• Garden care: Plant firmly in a hessian-lined aquatic planting basket filled with aquatic compost. Apply a 2.5cm (1in) top-dressing of pea shingle or gravel to prevent the top layer of the planting medium from clouding the water. The crown of the plant should protrude slightly above the surface of the planting basket. Raise the basket on bricks when the plant is young, gradually lowering them as the plant matures, so that the leaves float on the surface.