Leaf
Liliane Roubaudi, Tela Botanica · CC BY-SA 2.0
White water lily
Nymphaea alba L.
Also known as: European white water lily
Family: Nymphaeaceae
floating leaves, flowers just breaking the water surface
Garden ponds, pools, still water
Flowering: June – September
Full sun
Hardy to -20°C
❓ How do you recognise this plant?
Its flowers open in the morning and close again each evening, for several days in a row.
🍃 Leaves
Broad, round, floating, glossy green, split as far as the petiole
🌸 Flowers
Large, floating white flowers with numerous golden stamens
🍎 Fruits
Submerged capsule after flowering
🪵 Bark
Submerged rhizome rooted in the bed of the pond
🗺️ Distribution
Europe, North Africa, western Asia; found in still water, ponds and pools in France.
🐝 Value for pollinators
Large white flowers rich in pollen, visited by water beetles and bees.
✂️ Horticultural uses
Ponds and water features; many horticultural cultivars derived from it, an emblematic plant of water gardens.
⚠️ Possible toxicity
No notable toxicity known.
🌿 Other Nymphaeaceae to discover
ℹ️ Educational profile — do not use it to judge whether a plant is edible or safe.
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