Water lily is a genus of herbaceous aquatic plants from the Water Lily family. Their natural habitat is stagnant or slowly flowing fresh water of the subtropics and temperate climate. The plant is found in the Far East, the Urals, in Central Asia, Russia, Belarus and neighboring countries. In addition to the usual name, it is called "water lily", "child of the sun" or "nymphaeum." Water lily shrouded in various legends. According to one of them, the white nymph turned into a water flower because of an unrequited love for Hercules. According to other beliefs, each flower has a different elf. This flower should definitely beautify your own small pond, because in addition to aesthetic pleasure, the owner receives a lot of benefits for health and economy.
The appearance of the plant
Water lily is an aquatic perennial with a long horizontal rhizome. It clings to silt and grows deeper into shorter vertical processes. The thickness of the cord-like horizontal roots is about 5 cm. Large petiole leaves grow from the buds at the nodes of the stem. Some of them may be in the water column, but most are located on the surface. The heart-shaped, almost rounded sheet plate is very dense. Its size is 20-30 cm across. The edges of the leaves are solid, and the surface can be solid or two-tone: green, brown, pinkish, light green.
In May-June, the first flowers begin to appear. The flowering period can last until frost, although a single flower lives only 3-4 days. In the evening, the petals close, the peduncle shortens and draws the flower under the water. In the morning, the opposite process occurs. Usually the corolla consists of 4 sepals, which are similar to the petals, but differ in a more saturated color. Behind them in several rows are oval large petals with a pointed edge. The color of the petals can be white, cream, pink or red. The latter turn into smaller flattened stamens. A pestle is visible at the very core. The diameter of the water lily flower is 6-15 cm. The flowers exude a pleasant aroma of varying intensity.
After pollination, the peduncle contracts and twists, taking the ripening fruit under the water in the form of an oblong seed box. After the final ripening, the walls open, releasing small seeds covered with thick mucus. First, they are on the surface, and when the mucus is completely washed out, sink to the bottom and germinate.
Due to environmental degradation, siltation and shallowing of water bodies, the number of water lilies has greatly decreased. Also, the destruction of the population was affected by the extermination of plants for medical purposes. Some species, for example, a white water lily, are already listed in the Red Book.
Types of Water Lilies
According to the latest data, the genus Kuvshinka has more than 40 plant species.
White water lily (pure white). The inhabitant of Central Russian ponds is distinguished by a particularly powerful root system with tuberous growths on the rhizome. To the surface of the water fleshy petioles bear leaves and flowers. Solid bright green leaves on the surface of the water are 20-25 cm wide. They have a rounded shape with a dissection at the point of attachment of the petiole. The first buds open in late May or early June, they replace each other until late autumn. The maximum number of flowers is observed in the second half of summer. Snow-white fragrant flowers with a diameter of 10-15 cm consist of several rows of pointed ovoid petals and a lush core with yellow stamens.
White water lily. Plants live in Eurasia and North Africa. Quite large leaves reach a width of 30 cm, but have a disproportionate structure to the plate. In early summer, creamy-white flowers bloom with a diameter of about 15 cm. Larger petals are located in the outer circle, and towards the center they gradually become smaller and go into several rows of stamens.
The water lily is tetrahedral. The inhabitant of the north of Siberia has a very modest size. The diameter of its pinkish-white flowers does not exceed 5 cm.
Hybrid water lily. A group of decorative water lilies bred specifically for use in the garden. The reason for this is the poor survival rate of wild plants in the culture. The most popular varieties:
- Alba - a plant 40-100 cm high with large snow-white flowers;
- Rozeya - large corollas with a pink cup and pale pink petals bloom on shoots 0.2-1 m long;
- Gold Medal - golden flowers with many narrow petals are located on the shoot up to 1 m long;
- James Brydon - terry cherry corollas of a small size consist of wide and round petals, they grow on a stem up to 1 m long;
- Blue Beauty - large green leaves are surrounded by flowers with blue petals and a golden core.
The colors of species water lilies are usually dominated by shades of white or pink, however some claim to have seen a yellow water lily. Such a plant does exist, but it belongs to another genus - the Eggplant. In terms of leaf structure and habitat, the genera are very similar. Both belong to the same family. Moreover, the flowers have a more modest size and do not exceed 4-6 cm across. The petals themselves are wider and rounded.
Propagation Features
It is very difficult to propagate a water lily. Even with an experienced florist, not every attempt will succeed. Seed propagation is usually possible only in the wild in the south of the country.
The best result is shown by vegetative methods. To do this, it is necessary to extract the rhizome and cut it into pieces so that each split has at least one kidney. Slices should be sprinkled with charcoal. All manipulations must be carried out quickly enough, because the plant does not tolerate overdrying of the root. It is placed in a container with water and sludge. If there are several leaves on a segment, some of them should be removed so as not to weaken the plant.
Care Secrets
The use of decorative water lilies is an excellent solution for small ponds. They grow best in a well-lit, open area, but can also develop in slight shading. In full shadow, the plant will not die, but you can not wait for flowers. So that the entire surface of the water is not covered by vegetation, it is necessary to allocate 1-4 m² of a reservoir for each instance. Water lilies grow best in stagnant, calm water or with a slight flow. Constant drilling is contraindicated for them, therefore, plants will die next to the fountain.
Landing is performed in May-June. Although you can place the root directly on the bottom of the reservoir, it is more convenient to plant the nympha in a bucket or a large plastic container. In winter, the plant can be removed so that it does not freeze in a shallow, completely freezing pond. The soil mixture is composed of the following components:
- peat;
- garden soil;
- river sand;
- compost.
The growth point during landing should remain on the surface. So that the earth does not come up and the seedlings are not washed out, the surface is heavier with pebbles. Depth of immersion depends on the height of a particular variety. It can be only 20 cm or reach 1 m. First, the container with the plant is placed in the shallow part, so that the leaves appear faster. As they grow, the water lily is immersed deeper. Such movements are possible only during the growing season. With the advent of buds, water level fluctuations are contraindicated.
Nymphaeum needs feeding. Fertilizer for her can be bone meal. It is mixed with clay and balls form. They are immersed in soil near the roots.
When planting, it is necessary to take into account the degree of winter hardiness of the varieties. Some of them persist even in severe frosts. Most often these are high grades in a spacious pond. Otherwise, the container with the water lily is removed and transferred to a rather cold and dark room, and in the early spring after the ice melts, it is returned to the pond. Rare night frosts will not harm the plant.
Water lilies are not afraid of disease, they are distinguished by very strong immunity. In strong heat, in a too shallow pond, aphids can settle on the plant. The harm from it for the entire water lily is small, but the flowers may fall away without opening. Also, succulent leaves attract snails. The use of insecticides can lead to poisoning of the entire reservoir, so it is better to use mechanical methods of removing pests. Snails are collected, and aphids are washed off with a stream of water.
Healing properties
All parts of the plant contain a large number of active substances, such as starch, ascorbic acid, flavonoids, fatty oils, proteins, tannins, alkaloids, glycosides. The crushed raw materials are brewed and taken orally to combat headache, amenorrhea, insomnia, hepatitis, cramps of the bladder, diarrhea, and tumors. External use of the decoction helps get rid of inflammation on the skin.
Many active substances in excess harm the body more than they benefit. You can not abuse them, it is best to take drugs under the supervision of a doctor. Also contraindicated are allergies and a tendency to hypotension.
