Waterlilies: Why They’re Essential for Your Pond and How to Introduce Them

Waterlilies are often considered the crown jewel of any pond, adding elegance and beauty to the water’s surface. But did you know they also offer practical benefits?

Whether you have a small garden pond, a lake or even a container pond, waterlilies are a must-have for both aesthetics and pond health.

Why You Should Add Waterlilies to Your Pond

Waterlilies provide much-needed shade for your pond, reducing the amount of sunlight that reaches the water. This helps keep the water temperature down, which is especially important during the warmer months. By cooling the water and shading it, you also help prevent algae from thriving. Their broad leaves offer shelter for fish and other aquatic life, giving them a safe, cool place to hide from the heat and predators, amphibians use the leaves for resting on and their flowers encourage pollinators.

Waterlilies also contribute to a healthy pond ecosystem by absorbing excess nutrients, which can further help control algae growth. Some varieties of waterlilies can bloom well into the autumn months—such as Darwin, Paul Hariot and Colorado adding extended seasonal interest to your pond and good for sunny autumn days.

Companion Planting for Waterlilies

One great companion for waterlilies is Water Hawthorn. These plants have alternate seasons, ensuring your pond is always covered and shaded. Water Hawthorn blooms from early spring to early summer, while waterlilies peak in the summer. This way, you have continuous coverage, which is beneficial for breeding amphibians. By planting both together, you maintain shade and coverage for a longer period of the year. 

Choosing the Right Waterlilies for Your Pond

When selecting waterlilies, it’s important to consider the size of your pond. While waterlilies are beautiful and beneficial, overcrowding your pond with too many can create problems. Overcrowded waterlilies will grow upwards out of the water rather than lying flat on the surface, affecting their appearance.

The only native waterlily in the UK is Alba, a vigorous variety suitable for large ponds and lakes where its broad leaves can provide significant shading. However, this variety is too large for small or medium garden ponds. For smaller ponds or container ponds, opt for dwarf or pygmaea varieties, which offer the same benefits without overwhelming the space.  These are some of our favourites:

• For container ponds: Pygmaea Helvola is a delicate, yellow dwarf variety that works perfectly in small or container ponds.
• For a unique touch: Wanvisa and Purple Fantasy offer something a bit different with their unusual colouring and striking appearance.
• For a classic look: Gonnere is a stunning double-petal white waterlily that provides a timeless, elegant look.
• For vibrant color: Mayla is perfect for adding a bright pink hue, while Marliacea Chromatella is a consistent bloomer with soft yellow flowers.

How to Plant Waterlilies

Waterlilies require full sun to thrive, so make sure your pond gets sunlight from the morning through to mid-afternoon. Morning sun is crucial for warming up the waterlilies, as they typically open their flowers around lunchtime. Without enough sunlight, your lilies may not bloom properly.

Our waterlilies come pre-potted and we recommend keeping them in their aquatic baskets, Planting depth varies on variety;

• Medium and large varieties do well at depths of 60-85cm.
• Smaller and pygmaea varieties are ideal for shallower depths of 30-50cm.

If your waterlily already has leaves and foliage, ensure these remain on the water’s surface when planting. Do not submerge the leaves, as waterlilies breathe through tiny holes in their leaves. Submerging the leaves will drown the plant, as they rely on their leaves to transport oxygen to the roots.

Here are some quick tips on planting waterlilies:

• Place the basket in a sunniest part of the pond.
• Ensure the plant's leaves float on the surface, not below the water.
• Start by placing the basket in shallow water and gradually move it deeper as the plant grows.
• Keep away from fountains, waterfalls and moving water.
• Do not spray your waterlilies with a hose if filling up your pond.

How Many Waterlilies Should You Have?

It's important not to overcrowd your pond with too many waterlilies. For small to medium ponds, one or two waterlilies should be enough to provide sufficient shade and aesthetic appeal. Larger ponds can support more waterlilies, but as a rule of thumb, aim to cover around 50-70% of the pond’s surface with plants. Overcrowding waterlilies can cause them to grow out of the water rather than spreading flat, affecting both their appearance and function.

Waterlily Care and Maintenance

To keep your waterlilies healthy and flowering year after year, they need some basic care and attention:

1. Feeding: Waterlilies are heavy feeders and should be fertilised at least once a year to encourage strong growth and prolific blooming. Use slow-release fertiliser tablets designed for aquatic plants.

2. Positioning: Keep waterlilies away from splashing water or fountains, as constant water movement can disturb their growth. Waterlilies prefer still water, and spraying or hosing them down can damage their delicate flowers and leaves.

3. Winter Care: All our waterlilies are hardy to the UK climate, just ensure that once your waterlily has finished flowering and died back for the season, it is deep enough that the waterlily's crown will not be touched by ice during the winter months.

My Pond is Shaded, Can I Still Have Waterlilies?

Unfortunately, waterlilies need full sun to bloom and will struggle in shaded ponds. If your pond is in the shade, consider Deep Water Plants as an alternative. These plants are more shade tolerant and still provide interest in your pond. 

• Water Hawthorn (Aponogeton distachyos)
  This plant is known for its fragrant, white flowers and thrives in partial shade.  It flowers in early spring, so makes a great addition to any pond.

• Brandy Bottle (Nuphar lutea)
  A native yellow-flowered plant that is more tolerant of shade, ideal for adding visual interest.

• Fringed Waterlily (Nymphoides peltata)
  A native great alternative that performs well in shaded conditions and adds a delicate yellow flower to your pond.

Final Thoughts

Waterlilies are not only a beautiful addition to any pond, but they also play an essential role in maintaining a healthy pond ecosystem. By providing shade, absorbing nutrients, and creating shelter for aquatic life, they can help keep your pond balanced and algae-free.

With a variety of sizes and colours to choose from, there’s a waterlily for every pond, big or small.

Make sure to give them plenty of sunlight, feed them regularly, and enjoy their stunning blooms throughout the season.

For shaded ponds, consider deep water alternatives to achieve similar benefits.