Page 378 - Encyclopedia of Aquarium and Pond Fish, 3rd Edition

376 POND PLANT DIRECTORY

Nymphaea odorata var. minor Nymphaea odorata ‘Sulphurea Grandiflora’ Nymphaea ‘Rose Airey’
Odorata Minor Sunrise Rose Airey

ORIGINS Found in Newfoundland through eastern North ORIGINS Created in France in 1888, probably from ORIGINS Created in the US in 1913, probably from
America to the Caribbean. N. odorata var. gigantea x N. mexicana. N. odorata stock, but precise origins are unknown.
SIZE Leaves may spread to about 4 ft (1.2 m). SIZE Leaves may spread to about 5 ft (1.5 m). SIZE Leaves may spread to about 5 ft (1.5 m).
WATER Not fussy about water chemistry. Hardy to –30°F WATER Not fussy about water chemistry. Hardy to WATER Not fussy about water chemistry. Hardy to
(–34°C). –30°F (–34°C). –30°F (–34°C).
PROPAGATION Divide the rhizome at the start of the PROPAGATION Divide the rhizome at the start of the PROPAGATION Divide the rhizome at the start of the
growing period. May self-seed. growing period. growing period. May also self-seed.
The eye-catching yellow flowers of ‘Sunrise’ rank
among the largest of all the hardy water lilies, up
to 10 in (25 cm) in diameter. It grows well only in
reasonably warm localities, however, and produces
twisted leaves in the spring if the weather is cold.
This plant was given the alternative name Nymphaea
‘Sunrise’ by a California supplier around 1930.

N. odorata var. minor is a stable cultivar whose This strain was created by breeder Helen Fowler at
fragrant, pure white petals contrast with the Kenilworth Gardens, Washington, D.C., and named
bright yellow stamens and green leaves. Flower after her cousin. It requires a large basket, about
size can be increased by planting it in special 24 x 24 x 12 in (60 x 60 x 30 cm), to allow the
aquatic soil. In the wild, its flowers vary greatly in rhizomes to multiply. It grows slowly, but the pink
appearance across its extensive range, with some flowers are fragrant and beautifully proportioned.
forms having much broader petals than others. The green leaves are purple when they first unfurl.

Nymphaea ‘Lucida’
Lucida

ORIGINS From the breeding program of Joseph
Latour-Marliac; its ancestry is unknown.
SIZE Leaves may spread to about 5 ft (1.5 m).
WATER Not fussy about water chemistry. Hardy to –30°F
(–34°C).
PROPAGATION Divide the rhizome at the start of the
growing period.
As is the case with a number of other Marliac
cultivars of uncertain origin, it is thought that
‘Lucida’ may have arisen simply from bee
pollination during the course of Joseph Latour-
Marliac’s breeding program, rather than from
deliberate crossings between plants. ‘Lucida’ is
essentially a red variety, although the outer petals
are more pinkish in color, with the stamens being
deep yellow. The color of the individual flowers
becomes more intense with age. The leaves, too,
are attractive—their upper surfaces are green with
prominent purple mottling. ‘Lucida’ flowers freely,
but care needs to be taken because it is more
susceptible than many other water lilies to the
disease called crown rot, which is caused by
Phytophthora fungus. (Make sure plants are not
affected before buying.) Removing an affected
water lily from the pond and treating it separately
with a fungicide may resolve the problem.

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