7 replies to this topic

[BennyLava]

I bought a water lily for my small pond, and it keeps growing new flowers, and the old ones die off in a few days. I am on my 3rd flower now. The new leaves come in, and stay in. Yet the flowers grow to the top of the water, poke out, then thrive for a few days. Then the flower closes, and the stem tilts down under water, where you can't even see the flower any more. What gives? It's like some kind of cycle of new flowers or something. Even now it seems I have a new baby flower coming up to replace this newest one. I want all the flowers to stay! that would look really great in my opinion. Anyone happen to know why my flowers are doing this?

[chilligirl]

it's normal Blooms only last a few days, less if it's really hot - just like most other flowering plants. Red lillies are especially prone to wilt in the heat.

If you keep cutting off the dead/dying blooms, it will flower more often and longer.

[BennyLava]

Thanks. Are there any lilies that keep the flowers longer than that? I would like to have 1 plant with multiple flowers if I could.

[DrDave]

You might be able to get a plastic one, they always bloom. LOL
Everything has a lifespan, including water lilies.

[oldmarine]

Hi beenyLava,

Your lillies are normal, and doing just fine. There aren't any liilies that last more than a few days short of dumping the lilly and going with Lotus. A lotus blossom will last until it goes to seed. Lillies don't go to seed. You are fortunate that you water lilly sends up bloom after bloom.

[leeannecastro]

That's normal. just be greatful your's are blooming. I have 4 and none of them have bloomed at all this year.

[GoldfishGuy]

Water lily blooms don't last that that long. To ensure you always have blooms make sure you fertilize your water lilies regularly. This will help so you always have some water lilies in bloom.

[oldmarine]

I have found that by using the water plant fertalizer tablets as recommended, my lillies grow healthy and the blossoms are out quite beautiful in color.

This time of the year is a good time to watch for good sales on water garden stuff. Last Fall I found that Lowes had marked down all of their pond supplies to as low as a third of the original shelf price.