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Water Lilies Conjure Visions of Fairies and Goblins

How to plant water lilies:
Water lilies need at least 50cm depth of water. They are best planted into a container with a mix of two parts good soil and one part each of manure and compost. Place a layer of sand or pebbles on the surface, and then gently lower into the water.

The water lily is a gorgeous aquatic plant that has sky-blue flowers and is the most commonly grown indigenous water lily in SA.

What, then, is a water lily?
* The water lily is a clump that forms a perennial thick, spongy, black tuberous rhizome that anchors the plant in the pond mud by spreading its roots. The plant does not have true stems, and the leaves have long leaf stalks that rise directly from the rhizome.
* The leaves are large and flat, are either round or oval in shape and have notched margins. The leaves measure up to 40cm in diameter, and have a cleft that almost reaches the centre where the petiole is attached.
* Water lilies do not live for long and are replaced by other water lilies all the time during the high growth season. When the flowers are ready to die they are pushed out of the way to make room for new blooms by the leaves, pushing the spent blooms towards the outer perimeter.
* A single lily plant is able to spread over an area of at least 1 meter.

The leaves of the water lily plant play a very important role:

• The water lily leaves have margins that keep the blades afloat.
• The underside of the leaf has a waxy cuticle which is important in keeping the leaf afloat and also prevents the breathing stomata pores from becoming blocked and hence assists in the breathing of the plant.
• The dust-free surface of the leaf ensures that photosynthesis is performed properly; this is vital for the feeding of the plant.
• A large internal system ensures that oxygen is transported from leaf to route.

A pond with water lilies floating on the surface is a joy to behold; water lilies are found in many countries right across the globe, and many botanical gardens showcase these exotic blooms. When next in Brazil, New Zealand or Singapore, you would do well by paying one of these unusual gardens a visit.