About Water Lily
Water lily is one of July's two birth flowers, alongside larkspur, and it is the one people ask about and cannot buy. It floats on still water with flat round pads around it, opening in the morning and closing again in the afternoon, for three or four days before sinking below the surface to set seed.
It is not a lily and it is not a lotus, though it gets called both. Lotus holds its flowers and leaves above the water on stems; water lily floats on the surface. The two are unrelated and the confusion is ancient.
Primary Meanings
- Purity: From rising clean out of muddy water
- Rebirth: It closes and reopens each day
- Enlightenment: Strong in Buddhist and Hindu tradition
- Peace: The common modern association
Water Lily Colors and Their Meanings
White Water Lily
Purity; the native European species
Pink Water Lily
The most widely grown ornamental
Yellow Water Lily
Chromatella and similar hardy forms
Blue Water Lily
Tropical species; the Egyptian blue lotus
Deep Red Water Lily
Attraction and other hardy hybrids
Popular Water Lily Types
Hardy Water Lily
Nymphaea hybrids; float on the surface, survive frost
Tropical Water Lily
Held above the water, often scented, includes the blues
Night-Blooming Tropicals
Open after dusk and close mid-morning
Lotus
Nelumbo; a different genus entirely, held high on stems
Care Instructions
Not a Cut Flower
It closes and dies within hours of cutting.
Float It
If cut at all, float the bloom in a shallow bowl.
It Opens on a Clock
Morning open, afternoon closed. Nothing changes that.
Grow It Instead
A half barrel of water is enough for a small variety.
Best Occasions for Water Lily
- July Birthdays: One of the month's two birth flowers
- Ponds and Water Gardens: Its only practical use
- Religious Symbolism: Central in Buddhist and Hindu imagery
- Floating Displays: Occasionally floated in bowls at events
Interesting Water Lily Facts
- It is one of two birth flowers for July, with larkspur
- Flowers open in the morning and close in the afternoon for three or four days
- After flowering the stem coils and pulls the seed head underwater
- It is not a lotus; lotus is Nelumbo and holds its leaves above the water
- Monet painted around 250 water lily canvases at Giverny
How to Buy Good Water Lily
You cannot buy this as a cut flower and should be wary of anyone offering it. Water lilies close within hours of cutting and do not reopen, so a bouquet is not possible. What you can buy is the plant, from an aquatic nursery, and the thing to check there is the size class: varieties are sold as miniature, small, medium or vigorous, and a vigorous one will cover a small pond entirely within two seasons. Match the variety to the surface area you actually have.
Season, Availability and What Drives the Price
Hardy water lilies flower from about June to September, tropicals for longer where the climate allows. Plants are sold through spring and summer. There is no cut flower season because there is no cut flower trade. If someone wants water lilies for a July birthday, the honest answer is a plant for a container, or larkspur, which is the month's other birth flower and works perfectly well in a vase.
What to Use Instead
Larkspur is the practical answer for a July birthday and is genuinely the same birth month. Lotus pods are sold dried and give the same visual reference. For the floating look at an event, gerbera heads and orchid blooms are floated in bowls and last far longer. True lilies share the name and nothing else, but are what most people mean when they order lilies.
Safety Around Pets and Skin
Water lilies are not toxic to cats or dogs, and this is worth stating clearly because of the name. **True lilies, Lilium, are fatal to cats.** Water lilies are unrelated, as are calla and peace lilies. If a cat has chewed something called a lily, what matters enormously is which plant it actually was, and a water lily is not the dangerous one.
Florist Tips for Water Lily
It runs on a clock, not on you
Hardy water lilies open in the morning and close in the afternoon, for three or four days, and nothing you do changes that. Night-blooming tropicals do the reverse.
A half barrel is enough
You do not need a pond. A miniature variety will flower happily in a watertight half barrel on a patio, which is the practical way to give someone a water lily.
Lotus is a different plant
If the flowers and leaves stand well above the water on stems, it is a lotus, Nelumbo. If they float flat on the surface, it is a water lily. Unrelated genera.
Common Questions About Water Lily
Can you buy water lilies as cut flowers?
No. They close within hours of being cut and do not reopen, so there is no cut flower trade in them at all. For a July birthday, larkspur is the month's other birth flower and works in a vase.
What is the difference between a water lily and a lotus?
Water lilies float flat on the surface; lotus holds its leaves and flowers well above the water on stiff stems. They are different genera, Nymphaea and Nelumbo, and are not closely related despite constantly being confused.
Are water lilies poisonous to cats?
No, and the distinction matters. True lilies, Lilium, cause fatal kidney failure in cats. Water lilies are an entirely different plant and are not toxic. If a cat has eaten something called a lily, identifying which plant it was is urgent.