Inspiring the likes of Claude Monet, water lilies have incredible qualities that continue to amaze us. At over 120 million years old, these flowers are some of the first flowering plants on earth. The blossoms open and close each day for a succession of 4 days. The first day blossom is female, filled with a nectar cup of alluring fragrance, and the second to fourth day blooms are male. Sure to add mesmerizing beauty and enchanting fragrance to your garden oasis, water lilies have utterly charmed water gardeners worldwide. At Garden Ponds in Kilauea, we have 42 varieties of water lilies that we propagate, and here are three of our favorites of the season and what you need to know about growing them yourself.
Nymphaea “Star of Siam”
Brought to the US in the early 1990’s by the late Betsy Sakada (Oahu, 1932-2015), this striking tropical water lily has violet-blue petals with white stamens and violet tips. Blooming year-round in Hawaii’s subtropics, the tops of the pads are deeply mottled, and the underside is speckled with rich burgundy colors. The second day bloom shows a white star at the center, and it works well in large water garden containers or ponds. This lily loves 6+ hours of sunlight per day and is a prolific bloomer. Star of Siam makes bulbs or corms under the dirt and that is how it makes new plants.
We are grateful to Betsy Sakada, who brought Star of Siam to Hawaii and distributed it to the water gardening world. Notably, Ritch Sacher at American Aquatics in New Orleans brought exclusive rights to distribute this new hybrid in the US for two years without competitors when it first arrived in the US. Betsy Sakada, just so happened to be Ken Bernard, owner of Garden Ponds’ water gardening mentor and brought Ken two Star of Siam lilies to grow himself – with the understanding that they were not to be sold for the first two years. We are happy to report that over 30 years later, Star of Siam is still one of the most amazing, beautiful water lilies here at Garden Ponds. We currently have a few at the nursery with up to 5 blooms on one plant!
Nymphaea “Innocence”
The most magnificent white tropical waterlily at Garden Ponds, the blooms are abundant and continue year-round here in Hawaii. The blossom is pure white with a yellow center and the pads have a medium mottled green that fade with maturation. In cooler temperatures over the winter months, the tips of the bloom may turn a deep pink. Innocence is an excellent companion plant with the Star of Siam (see photo). Innocence is viviparous, meaning it grows new plants from the center of the pads, and this lily needs a minimum of 4.5 hours of full sun to thrive and bloom all year here in Hawaii’s subtropic climate.
Nymphaea “Islamorada”
A pale purple and white stellated petal has the appearance of being colored with a brush, creating soft changes in the coloration. This gradient of white and purple petals makes this waterlily totally unique. The pads are a solid green and have a gorgeous maroon underside. This tropical lily is the most viviparous of all our lilies that we propagate. This means that the pads will grow new baby water lilies prolifically, enabling you to share the gift of growing water lilies with your friends and neighbors! A happy year-round bloomer here in Hawaii, Islamorada is our least expensive water lily here at Garden Ponds and a great one to get you started in your new hobby. We sell a 6” sized lily for only $25.00.
We encourage you to come and see these water lilies in person at our water garden nursery here in Kilauea. Come see (and smell) for yourself the enchanting beauty. We are hosting a Water Lily 101 class on May Day, Saturday May 1, 2021 and you can register to attend via Eventbrite.
We are open Wednesday through Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. Give us a call at 808-828-6400 for all of your water gardening questions. We are located in Kilauea next to Kauai Mini Golf. 90
