Nymphaea ‘Texas Shell Pink’ (Tropical Water Lily)

Nymphaea ‘Texas Shell Pink’ (Water Lily) is a night-blooming aquatic perennial boasting dark yellow-green leaves, up to 13 in. wide (32 cm), with serrated edges. Floating on the surface of the water, they create a lovely backdrop for the spectacular, flat flowers, 8 in. across (20 cm), adorned with creamy-white petals and sepals bearing reddish-purple tips. Each pleasantly fragrant blossom lasts 3-4 days, opening at dusk and closing a few hours after dawn the following day. Cold fall days or cloudy days can cause them to stay open longer. Blooming from summer into fall, Texas Shell Pink is free-flowering, non-viviparous, and produces many flowers over a long season. This tropical nymphaea is suitable for medium to large water gardens.

• Grows up to 6-10 in. tall (15-25 cm) and 5-6 ft. wide (150-180 cm).
• Water depth: 12-30 in. (30-75 cm).
• Performs best in full sun in undisturbed water. Needs protection from wind.
• Plant tubers in spring, with the crown slightly above the soil surface, after the water temperature has warmed to about 70ºF (20ºC). Feed every 2-3 weeks with a proprietary aquatic fertilizer.
• Deadhead and remove yellow leaves regularly.
• No serious pest or disease issues. 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.