Nymphaea odorata (H)

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fragrant waterlily

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Other common names

alligator bonnets, American sweet-scented water lily, pond lily, toad lily, water cabbage, water nymph

Synonyms

Nymphaea 'Odorata Alba'

Aquatic
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A hardy, compact, free-flowering, deciduous, aquatic perennial which has small rounded dark-green leaves which are purple-bronze when they first appear. White, fragrant cup-shaped flowers with yellow centres appear from June through to September

Position

Full sun

Soil Types

Clay, Loam

Max Spread

1-1.5 metres

Size

Time to Maturity
2–5 years
Max Spread
1-1.5 metres

Growing Conditions

Clay Loam
Moisture
Poorly–drained
pH
Acid or Alkaline or Neutral

Position

Full sun
Aspect
South–facing or West–facing
Exposure
Exposed or Sheltered
Hardiness

Hardiness Ratings

All ratings refer to the UK growing conditions unless otherwise stated. Minimum temperature ranges (in degrees C) are shown in brackets

  • H1A: under glass all year (>15C)
  • H1B: can be grown outside in the summer (10 - 15)
  • H1C: can be grown outside in the summer (5 - 10)
  • H2: tolerant of low temperatures, but not surviving being frozen (1 to 5)
  • H3: hardy in coastal and relatively mild parts of the UK (-5 to 1)
  • H4: hardy through most of the UK (-10 to -5)
  • H5: hardy in most places throughout the UK even in severe winters (-15 to -10)
  • H6: hardy in all of UK and northern Europe (-20 to -15)
  • H7: hardy in the severest European continental climates (< -20)
H5

Colour & Scent

Fragrance Flower
Season Stem Flower Foliage Fruit
Spring
Summer
Autumn
Winter

Botanical Details

Family
Nymphaeaceae
Native to GB/Ireland
No
Foliage
Deciduous
Habit
Submerged, Floating
Genus
Nymphaea are rhizomatous, submerged aquatic perennials with floating, rounded leaves and showy, sometimes fragrant, cup- or bowl-shaped flowers in a wide range of colours, held on or above the water and followed by submerged, berry-like fruits
Name Status
Correct
Horticultural Group

Horticultural Classification Codes

Horticultural Classification Codes are often given to genera which have a large number of species or cultivars. They are used to categorise cultivated plants based on specific, shared characteristics such as shape, colour, size or flowering time, and can be displayed as letters or numbers

For example:
Dahlia ‘Sunset Kate (Sin) = Single flower
Rosa ‘Marigold’ (HT) = Hybrid Tea

Hardy Nymphaea are aquatic perennials with rounded floating leaves and showy flowers on or just above the water, with numerous narrow petals and conspicuous stamens, in white and shades of yellow, pink and red

How to Grow

Cultivation

Grow in undisturbed water in full sun. Plant in baskets in loamy soil with crowns just below soil surface and covered with pea shingle. Position basket so that it is covered by 15-25cm of water; as the plants establish gradually lower the plants to a depth of 50-60cm. See hardy waterlily cultivation for more advice

Propagation

Propagate by division of rhizomes or offsets in summer, place pots in shallow water until established. See pond plant propagation

Suggested planting locations and garden types

  • Wildlife gardens
  • Low Maintenance

Pruning

Deadhead and remove yellow leaves regularly

Pests

May be susceptible to brown china-mark moth, false leaf-mining midge, water lily beetle and water lily aphid. See waterlily pests for more details

Diseases

May be susceptible to crown rot, brown spot and water lily leaf spot