Water lily captivates the hearts of the onlookers. There are several colorful patterns which beautify the flower. In this Buzzle article we shall look at some of the relevant information that would help them who want to have these flowers as part of your home décor.

Water lilies are aquatic plants that grow in fresh water. It prefers a quiet water body like ponds, lakes, and marshes where there is no water current. The flower consists of a multiple number of petals with a golden stamen at its center, and is around 5 inches in diameter. The new flower shoots start appearing in the month of April. However, the blooming actually starts in June and continues till September. On an average, a water lily flower lives up to five days.

Water Lily Information

Water lily belongs to the Nymphaeaceae family. Its scientific name is Nymphaea. This name is obtained from the Greek word 'nymph', which according to Greek mythology means supernatural feminine that inhabited in water bodies like springs. It is true that water lilies are delicate flowers and are found in water. Thus we can say that the name absolutely relevant for water lily.

The water lily has its own spiritual and aesthetic values to mankind. It has been used widely in various paintings since the ancient civilizations. Famous French Impressionist Claude Monet (1840-1926) used water lily as an object in his oil paintings of water lily series to express his emotional response towards the environment. More recently, water lily tattoos are extremely popular among women all over the world. In the context of a tattoo, water lily meaning portrays purity of heart.

From the historical evidence found in ancient strata, it is believed that the origin of water lily is in South America. However, today, a large variety of hybrid water lilies of different colors are grown in various parts of the world. Basically, it is native to temperate climates. In extreme climatic conditions, the foliage tend to die easily, but the root continues to survive in the soil. On the other hand, in tropical or subtropical climates, water lily may even bloom during the winters.

When we look at a water lily, it seems that it has grown from the surface of the water itself. Though the fact is that the flower is just floating at the top of the water body and its actual root is attached to the mucky soil at the bottom. In other words, it actually grows inside the water. It has a fleshy, rhizome root system that can grow as deep as 6-7 feet and spread horizontally up to 15 feet. It produces a long stalk that enables the leaves and flowers to remain in floated condition on the water surface. When the flower is at a young stage, the stamen is straight and with aging of the flower, it folds and curls into the water lily. The stamen is the organ that holds the pollen of the flower. Once the flower dies, the plant pulls down the flower stem into the water.

Water lily can be easily grown as an ornamental plant in small garden ponds. Plant the tuber of water lily into a container and submerge the pot into the water. For proper growth, it requires a lot of sun. If you live in an area where the water body is likely to freeze in the winter, then you should take out the water lilies from the water, wrap them up in plastic and store them. With the onset of spring, you can again put them back into the water.

Apart from color and beauty, planting water lily in the water gardens has several other advantages as well. The shade provided by flower to the water prevent growth of algae. Thus water lily keeps the water bodies clean. Moreover, it protects various types of small fishes and aquatic animals living in the water from their predators.

This beautiful, showy flower has many different varieties. The most common color of water lily is white, but it can be found in other colors like pink, purple, yellow, orange, burgundy and so on. Most varieties of the flower open its petals in the morning and closes up in the evening. However, there are a few of its varieties which bloom only during the night. Water lily tattoos are also very famous and people flaunt them with pride and ecstasy. Water lily tattoo meanings are classified as faithfulness, purification, and enlightenment.