Hardy vs Tropical water lilies.

[Mr.Wizard]

I am looking for pros and cons associated with the hardy water lily and the tropical water lily. My main concern is water temperature and blooming. I live in the Sacramento Valley, Northern California, it can be over 100 degrees in summer and down to 32 in winter. Obviously I want to see it bloom all year long, 24 hours a day but that's not an option. I am new to this and would appreciate some input on your experiences with each type of water lily. Thanks

 

[addy1]

Tropical would do fine there, you can get night bloomers and day bloomers, with a mix of hardies you could almost have them blooming all day 24 hours a day.

We can grow tropical here but have to pull them in and save over winter, not worth it to me. I have had them a few times, by the time the water warms enough half of the summer can be over.

 

[Mr.Wizard]

My main concern is water temperature. I have read that most tropical varieties bloom with a water temperature above 70 degrees. Is this the same for hardy varieties as well?

 

[addy1]

No my hardies have bloomed lower than that a friend of mine has tropicals down in Georgia, hers bloom with a skim of ice on the pond.

 

[Linus_Cello]

How much sun do you have? My understanding is tropicals need full sun; there are some hardies that can bloom in part shade (but do better in full sun).

 

[Nepen]

yep get a mix of hardy and tropical. I have a tropical that blooms until December here in zone 7a.