Water Lilies

Water lilies are rhizomatous aquatic perennial plants with rooted underwater stems. Tropical water lilies can only be grown in heated water or greenhouses in the UK, however most Nymphaea water lilies are hardy and don't require winter covering. If you're looking for a container pond centre-piece, dwarf and miniature water lilies are ideal, otherwise most water lilies grow to several meters wide. White Water Lily Nymphaea Alba is the only native British water lily and grows in medium to large pond sizes with submerged berry-like fruit.

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  • Dwarf Water Lily | Nymphaea Xiafei Pond Plants
    From £30
    From £30

    Dwarf Water Lily | Nymphaea 'Xiafei'

    Perfect for container ponds

    • Dainty magenta blooms
    • Zone 3 - Deep water
    • A sun-loving plant (six hours or more)
    • A small waterlily, perfect for compact ponds

    Currently out of stock

  • James Brydon Water Lily | Nymphaea Pond Plants
    From £36
    From £36

    Carmine Red Water Lily | Nymphaea 'James Brydon'

    Award-winning, red superstar

    • Carmine red flowers and maroon-flecked leaves
    • Zone 3 - Deep water
    • Loves the sun (don't we all?)
    • RHS Award of Garden Merit winner

    Currently out of stock

  • Red Water Lily | Nymphaea Perry's Baby Red Pond Plants
    From £30
    From £30

    Red Water Lily | Nymphaea 'Perry's Baby Red'

    Compact, prolific and vibrant

    • Punchy blooms in reddish pink
    • Zone 3 - Deep water
    • Place this water lily in full sun
    • RHS Award of Garden Merit winner

    Currently out of stock

  • Nymphaea Odorata sulphurea | Water Lily Pond Plants
    From £25
    From £25

    Fragrant Yellow Water Lily | Nymphaea 'Odorata Sulphurea'

    Showy and sweetly-scented

    • Lovely fragrant, yellow blooms
    • Zone 3 - Deep water
    • Full sun will see best growth
    • As tough as its blooms are beautiful!

    Currently out of stock

  • Large Water Lily | Nymphaea Marliacea Carnea Pond Plants
    From £36
    From £36

    Large Water Lily | Nymphaea 'Marliacea Carnea'

    A classic in pink and white

    • Pink to snow white blooms, yellow centres
    • Zone 3 - Deep water
    • Soaks up the sun (likes at least six hours)
    • The perfect focal point for a large pond

    Currently out of stock

  • Nymphaea Perry's Baby Red | Water Lily Pond Plants
    From £36
    From £36

    Red Water Lily | Nymphaea 'Perry's Baby Red'

    Compact, vibrant pink flowers

    • Prolific pink double blooms and broad pads
    • Zone 3 - Deep water
    • A sun-loving plant
    • Flowers all summer from June to September

    Currently out of stock

  • Best Small Pond Plants Collection with a Lily | Grower's Choice Pond Plants
    £75
    £75

    Best Small Pond Plants Collection with a Lily | Grower's Choice

    The ideal mini pond plant scheme

    • A fabulous selection of different pond plants
    • Zones 1 to 3 - Pondside to deep water
    • A spot in full sunshine is best
    • Attractive to bees, butterflies and birds

    Currently out of stock

  • Black Princess Water Lily Pond Plants
    From £40
    From £40

    'Black Princess' Water Lily

    Stately burgundy tones

    • Wine-red blooms with real intensity
    • Zone 3 - Deep water
    • Thrives in a pond in sunshine
    • RHS Award of Garden Merit winner

    Currently out of stock

  • Fragrant Water Lily 'Sioux' | Nymphaea | 3L Pot Pond Plants
    From £36
    From £36

    Fragrant Water Lily | Nymphaea 'Sioux'

    An array of happy hues

    • Colour-changing, highly-scented blooms
    • Zone 3 - Deep water
    • Thrives in full sun to partial shade
    • Nice and free-flowering throughout summer

    Currently out of stock

  • Yellow Water Lily | Nuphar lutea Pond Plants
    From £18
    From £18

    Yellow Water Lily | Nuphar lutea

    Scented, floating buttercups

    • Fragrant yellow, cupped blooms on stalks
    • Zone 3 - Deep water
    • Thrives in full sun or partial shade
    • Flowers from June to August

    Currently out of stock

  • Water Lily | Nymphaea Mrs Richmond Pond Plants
    From £36
    From £36

    Water Lily | Nymphaea 'Mrs Richmond'

    Stunning water lilies all summer

    • Pastel pink petals maturing to deeper magenta
    • Zone 3 - Deep water
    • Prefers full sunshine
    • Free-flowering from June to September

    Currently out of stock

  • Large Pink Water Lily | Nymphaea Rose Arey Pond Plants
    From £36
    From £36

    Large Pink Water Lily | Nymphaea 'Rose Arey'

    A pink star for larger ponds

    • Stunning star-shaped, pink blooms
    • Zone 3 - Deep water
    • Plant in full sun for the best flowers
    • Robust, floriferous and long-blooming

    Currently out of stock

  • Water Lily 'Vesuve' | Nymphaea | 3L Pot Pond Plants
    From £36
    From £36

    Magenta Water Lily | Nymphaea 'Vesuve'

    Long-flowering loveliness

    • Perfectly-perfumed flowers, volcanic stamens
    • Zone 3 - Deep water
    • Loves full sun, grows in part shade
    • One of the more shade-tolerant varieties

    Currently out of stock

  • Dwarf Water Lily 'Solfatare' | Nymphaea | 3L Pot Pond Plants
    From £36
    From £36

    Dwarf Water Lily | Nymphaea 'Solfatare'

    A different colour every day...

    • From yellow, to orange, to red, to pink!
    • Zone 3 - Deep water
    • Full sun is best (tolerates part shade)
    • Attractive mottled foliage

    Currently out of stock

  • Dwarf Water Lily 'Snow Princess' | Nymphaea | 2L Pot Pond Plants
    From £36
    From £36

    Dwarf Water Lily | Nymphaea 'Snow Princess'

    Ideal for miniature ponds!

    • Adorable blooms in snow white and yellow
    • Zone 3 - Deep water
    • Ideal for a sunny pond
    • Free-flowering and vigorous

    Currently out of stock

  • Fragrant Water Lily 'Pink Peony' | Nymphaea | 3L Pot Pond Plants
    From £36
    From £36

    Fragrant Water Lily | Nymphaea 'Pink Peony'

    Bright pink & perfectly perfumed

    • Bold pink shades and bright yellow stamens
    • Zone 3 - Deep water
    • Prefers a sunny pond
    • Alluring, peony-shaped flowers

    Currently out of stock

  • Water Lily 'Colonel A J Welch' | Nymphaea | 3L Pot Pond Plants
    From £36
    From £36

    Yellow Water Lily | Nymphaea 'Colonel A.J. Welch'

    One of the hardiest water lilies

    • Wonderfully contrasting flowers and foliage
    • Zone 3 - Deep water
    • Likes full sun
    • Helps prevent algal buildups

    Currently out of stock

Enfield

Meet Caroline

A deep dive into sustainable gardening

Nestled amongst wildlife meadows and resident ducks, Caroline’s award winning pond plant nursery in Enfield has been making a splash since 1965, when they invented the (recycled, obvs) aquatic basket. Sixty years and multiple RHS gold medals later, they’re still surprising us with new varieties every year!

Need help picking?

Which water lily?

Which water lily?

There are a huge number of water lilies out there, and these floating flowerers make an excellent addition to any pond garden – there’s a reason Monet painted so many! If you’ve got a large pond, then you’ll have the room for bigger varieties like 'Marliacea Carnea' and 'Gladstoniana', while small ponds (and container/tub ponds) will benefit from more compact, diminutive varieties like 'Pygmaea Helvola' and ‘Perry’s Baby Red’. For the showiest blooms, choose ‘Gloire du Temple-sur-Lot', whose flowers can have up to 100 petals! And if you want your pond to smell nice and fragrant, then we’d recommend 'Odorata Sulphurea'.

Water lily planting schemes

Water lily planting schemes

Water lilies are at their most impactful when given a lush foliage foil against which their blooms can really shine. Water lettuce is the ideal plant for this purpose, its rich green rosettes floating serenely on the pond surface and providing a green canvas for the Nymphaea flowers. Consider planting water hawthorn to extend your pond’s floral display from solely summer to multiple seasons. Finally, the addition of some marginal pond grasses can help visually frame the pond and the water lilies it supports.

Caring for water lilies

Caring for water lilies

For your water lilies to flourish, they need still water (so no streams, we’re afraid) and a fully sunny position (at least six hours of direct sunlight per day). Plant your water lilies in aquatic baskets to help keep them secure and the soil in place. Your water lilies will benefit from an annual feed every spring with slow-release aquatic fertiliser. If your pond is small and accessible, it’s also worth deadheading spent flowers to prevent them rotting in the water. Only do this if it’s safe to do so, however.

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| 2 Jun
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The plant arrived looking vigorously healthy, which brings a smile to your face, extremely well protected in its packaging.

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| 5 Jul
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| 8 Nov

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