Nymphaea ‘Gonnere’ (Hardy Water Lily)

Nymphaea ‘Gonnere’ (Water Lily) is a day-blooming aquatic perennial boasting rounded, pea-green leaves. Floating on the surface of the water, they create a lovely backdrop for the heavily petalled, pure white flowers. Each pleasantly fragrant snowball blossom, up to 6 in. across (15 cm), features up to 57-62 petals surrounding a conspicuous bouquet of golden stamens. Blooming from early summer to early fall, Gonnere is a good bloomer and produces spectacular flowers over a long season. They stay open later in the day than most other water lilies. Use in medium to large ponds. Introduced in 1914, Gonnere is a hardy nymphaea.

• Grows up to 4 in. tall (10 cm) and 4-6 ft. wide (120-180 cm).
• Depth of water: 6-30 in. (15-75 cm).
• Performs best in full sun in loamy soil in undisturbed water. Plant in a basket with the crown just below the soil surface and covered with pea shingle. Feed during the growing season with a proprietary aquatic fertilizer.
• Deadhead and remove yellow leaves regularly.
• Keep an eye out for water-lily beetle, water lily aphid, brown china-mark moth, false leaf-mining midge, crown rot, brown spot and water lily leaf spot.
• Propagate by division of rhizomes or offsets in summer, place pots in shallow water until established.