Plant Library - your online resource for plant information.

Other Names:  Mexican Water Lily, Banana Water Lily, Waterlily

Description:

A southern native water lily with pale yellow star-shaped flowers with darker yellow centers; blooms from spring to winter; attractive, round green foliage; easy to care for; water lilies dislike moving water; annual in colder climates

Ornamental Features

Yellow Water Lily features showy fragrant buttery yellow cup-shaped flowers with yellow eyes at the ends of the stems from late spring to late fall. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its attractive glossy round leaves remain green in color throughout the year.

Landscape Attributes

Yellow Water Lily is an herbaceous annual with a ground-hugging habit of growth. Its relatively coarse texture can be used to stand it apart from other garden plants with finer foliage.

This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should be cut back in late fall in preparation for winter. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Yellow Water Lily is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Water Gardens
• Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens
• Container Planting
• Bog Gardens

Planting & Growing

Yellow Water Lily will grow to be about 14 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 5 feet. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. Although it's not a true annual, this fast-growing plant can be expected to behave as an annual in our climate if left outdoors over the winter, usually needing replacement the following year. As such, gardeners should take into consideration that it will perform differently than it would in its native habitat.

This plant does best in full sun to partial shade. It is an excellent choice for very wet locations or locations with some standing water. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is native to parts of North America. It can be propagated by division.

Yellow Water Lily is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its spreading habit of growth, it is ideally suited for use as a 'spiller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the edges where it can spill gracefully over the pot. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.