These plants are extremely colorful and can add beauty to the place. They vary in size and color. Hence it is necessary to know the basic information about the plants before planting them and this beginners guide has precise information about water lily
Water lily Plant – Overview
| Common Name | Water lily |
| Color | They come in varieties of color which include white, pink, purple and the like |
| Habitat/Origin | They are found in almost all parts of the world including tropical and temperate climate |
| Average Size | The size of the plants differs according to the species hence a minimum of 50-gallon aquarium is required to grow water lilies |
| Growth Rate | They grow relatively faster, almost 2 leaves for a week |
| Placement | As the growth of the plant is faster and stem and leaves spread, the plant should be placed in the center of the aquarium |
| Maintenance | The fertilizer ball should be placed once every 2 months. As these aquarium plants grow really fast, regular trimming is necessary. If not the rot leaves will start to produce nitrate which is not good for the plant |
| Planting Methods | A short lily bulb can be placed in the water as it can sprout with water itself. Another way is to place the bulb inside the substrate and in a week or two, it will sprout out. Later the sprouting bulb can be removed from the tank |
| Ideal Setup | Medium-sized and tall tanks |
| Care Level | Low to medium, Easy as trimming alone should be done regularly |
| Supplements | Slow-release fertilizer is essential for lilies to grow healthy. Later 2 inch of pea gravel can be added to prevent the discoloration of water |
| Lighting | They require full sunlight. In the tanks, artificial lightning of around 6500 Kelvin for 10-12 hours a day is necessary |
| Water temperature | The ideal temperature is between 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit. |
| Propogation | Production of seeds and vegetative reproduction are two methods of reproduction. Seeds are transported from the flowers from one lily to another and they are fertilized. In vegetative reproduction, the plant produces its own underground stem which puts out lateral shoots (rhizomes). They can be detached from the root of this aquarium plant and transplanted into other pots with the substrate |
| Approx. Cost | A bunch of water lily would cost 18 to 20 Dollars in the USA and in Southe East Asia, they are half the price. |
| Common Diseases | Attack of midge larvae pests that damage the leaves is very common. These can be prevented by adding mosquito fish to the aquarium. Water lily leaf beetle which feeds on the surface of the leaf can be removed by hand |
| What to look for when buying | Make sure the plant has pest free leaves. Crown rot can be seen by yellow curling leaves. Avoid such plants |
| Related Specifies | Red bog lily and Comanche lily |
| FAQs | Check out the most asked questions about water lily |
Water lily plant gallery
Yellow water lilly
References
- Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (2009), “An update of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group classification for the orders and families of flowering plants: APG III”, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 161 (2): 105–121, doi:10.1111/j.1095-8339.2009.00996.x
- Christenhusz, M. J. M. & Byng, J. W. (2016). “The number of known plants species in the world and its annual increase”. Phytotaxa. 261 (3): 201–217. doi:10.11646/phytotaxa.261.3.1.