Nymphaea pubescens
White water lily, water lily, night lotus, water lily: unlike most water lilies, which open in the sunlight, this tropical species unfurls its large white flowers at dusk and keeps them open all night—hence its nickname, night lotus. A rare spectacle for anyone with a pond.
Characteristics:
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Large white flowers: up to 15 cm in diameter, pure white, from June to September.
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Floating foliage: broad, round leaves that cover the surface and shade the water.
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Dual use: garden pond or large aquarium, where it adds elegance and life.
Precautions:
- Tropical species: it is essential to protect young plants from frost during their first winter. In an outdoor pond in a cold climate, frost-free overwintering is necessary.
Sowing advice:
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Exposure: bright location, preferably full sun—without light, there will be no flowering.
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Soil: heavy, finely sieved garden soil, without potting soil or compost, which would cloud the water and cause it to turn green. Cover with a thin layer of gravel to keep the substrate in place.
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Method: sow in deep pots, then immerse them in a pond or container just 1 or 2 cm below the surface, at 20–25 °C. Cold aquatic stratification (keeping the seeds in cool water) improves germination. Gradually lower the pots as the leaves develop.
Planting advice:
- Transplant as soon as the first floating leaves appear, into mesh baskets, lowering them in stages to their final depth of 30–50 cm.
Care advice:
- Remove yellowing leaves to prevent them from polluting the pond water.
- Place it away from any waterfall or water jet: water lilies dislike agitated water on their foliage.
Beneficial pairings:
Benefits for biodiversity:
- Its floating leaves shade the water, limit algae growth, and maintain a cooler temperature: they directly contribute to the pond’s balance.
- They provide resting platforms for dragonflies and shelter for amphibians and fry.
- Its nocturnal flowers attract specific pollinators, particularly beetles that spend the night enclosed within the flower.
Uses:
- Garden ponds, ornamental pools, and large heated aquariums.
Symbolism:
Like all water lilies, it symbolizes purity and elevation: rooted in the mud, it opens at the surface in perfect whiteness.
Harvesting your own seeds:
After flowering, the fruit ripens underwater and then releases seeds surrounded by an air-filled coating that makes them float before they sink. Harvest them from the surface and store them in water, never dry: they lose their germination capacity when they dry out. See storing your seeds.
Commitment to Quality: at SemiSauvage - Permaculture, we grow and select our seeds with respect for living things as our guiding principle. Based near the Volcanoes of Auvergne, we choose open-pollinated, non-hybrid varieties, tested for their germination rate, carefully sorted and packaged, with no chemical treatment. Our conviction: to give gardeners back the ability to sow, year after year, seeds that truly belong to them.
Create a peaceful aquatic haven and treat yourself to flowers that open at dusk.
