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| The Tropical Water-Lilies |
Tropical water-lilies do everything on a grander scale than the hardies.
They grow wider and taller and in a greater range of color. Their blooming habits are more versatile, half of them blooming in daytime, the rest
opening at night. Almost all of the day bloomers and a few night
bloomers have fragrance. Many carry their blooms aloft, well above the
surface of the water; and long, strong stems make most of them excellent
for cutting.
There are more species of tropicals than of hardies, and they hybridize more readily, which has resulted in a tremendous number of
varieties. (Incidentally, I use the terms hybrid and variety interchangeably.)
The foliage of most tropicals is spreading and luxurious, and that of
many of the species and varieties is toothed and crimped or fluted at
the edge. Most of them require more pool or pond space, half again to
twice as much as the hardies.
Tropicals are not as versatile as the hardies, however, when it comes
to growing, for they must have comparatively shallow water at the start.
They do well in pools, large and small. They thrive in ponds when
planted around the shallow edges or propped up in the deep water to
a level from which blooms can break the surface.
As with the hardies, I include several species and varieties which may
seem identical. That is intentional, for I want to present a complete
range of colors and shapes, even if I have to overlap a little to do it.
Viviparous Water-Lilies
Several species and varieties of day-blooming tropical water-lilies
have an interesting characteristic that few other flowers have. They are
viviparous, that is, they bear their young alive, in the form of miniature
plants and blooms which sprout from an umbilicus at the center of mature leaves. (Viviparousness is discussed in detail in Chapter 9.)
Day-Blooming Tropicals
African Gold-Pring. A new yellow of fine, clear hue and good
form.
American Beauty-Flowers reddish, lemon-chrome at the center and
6 to 10 inches across. Large, orbicular leaves, bright green on top, brilliant red with green veins beneath, with a wavy margin.
N. ampla-Tropical American species with white, star-shaped blooms,
golden stamens.
speciosa-The same, but not quite so small.
Antoinette Chaize-Distinct coloring. Lavender-blue blooms
brushed at petal tips with deep gentian-blue.
August Koch-Pring. An old favorite, and a very good one with 7-
to 8-inch blooms of pale violet, quite fragrant. Stamens are reddish-
yellow; sepals lilac. A profusion of blooms the year around if plants are
taken indoors in winter. One of the few water-lilies that do very well
with a minimum of sunlight. Viviparous. Leaves are dark green and only
12 to 14 inches in diameter. Excellent for small pools. Very good for
cutting.
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