Blue Water Lily

South Africa is home to two indigenous species of Water Lilies from the genus Nymphaea, named for the beautiful nymphs of Greek mythology. They are long-lived plants, growing from spongy rhizomes anchored in the mud by spreading roots, occurring in standing or slow-flowing water up to 90cm deep in swamps, ponds, marshes, small streams and rivers. Their flat leaves may be up to 40cm wide where they float on the pond surface. The flowers are borne throughout the warm spring and summer months, may measure up to 20cm across, are very fragrant and extremely popular with bees and other pollinators. Unfortunately an individual flower rarely lasts longer than 4 days.

The White Water Lily, also known as the Egyptian Water Lily or Egyptian Lotus, is found in the north-eastern provinces of South Africa, besides its wide occurrence throughout our neighbouring countries and into tropical Africa. The Blue, or Cape, Water Lily is distributed over a much larger part of our country and most of sub-Saharan Africa and along the Nile. The beautiful flowers of both species were highly regarded even during the reign of Egypt’s pharaohs, being cultivated for use as decorations and in ceremonies. Today they still feature in gardens the world over.