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GENERAL
Origin
:
tropical
Vigour
:
fairly fast
growing
Humidity
:
semi-humid, very
humid, extremely
humid
Propagation :
direct sowing,
division
Maintenance :
high
CONDITIONS
Dessication :
vulnerable
Stagnant water :
resistant
Salinity/ppm :
low (700 ppm)
Hardiness
:
+6°C
SHAPE
Type
:
aquatic
Height
:
0.3 m-0.4 m
Spread
:
1 m
Foliage
:
evergreen
FLOWER
Colour
:
pastel blue
Size
:
10 cm - 15 cm
Period
:
June - September
Smell
:
sweet
FRUIT
Type of fruit :
capsule
Fruit size
:
10 cm
Toxicity
:
inedible
The Blue Egyptian Water Lily or Blue Lotus – the original habitat may have been Egypt and East
Africa – has been found to grow well in Arriyadh, under certain conditions and with high main-
tenance. An aquatic perennial with thick, black, spongy, tuberous rhizomes, which anchor in the
mud at the bottom of ponds and lakes, the leaves of this Water Lily are on leaf stalks that arise
directly from the rhizome. They are large, flat, round in shape with notched margins and with a
slit almost to the centre of the leaf, where the petiole is attached. Leaves are relatively short-lived
and replaced regularly throughout the growing season. A single plant can cover an area of about
1 sq. m. The elegant, blue, spiky flowers, 10–15 cm across, are held above water on a strong stalk
and appear from spring until the end of summer. Lasting for about four days, they open in mid-
morning and close in late afternoon: they are sweetly fragrant. This Water Lily is easy to grow;
it requires full sun, good soil and a minimum of 30 cm of water. It should not be planted near
fountains or in fast-moving water; the plants also do not like wind. They are best planted in con-
tainers sunk into the pond and must be fertilised in the growing season in order to flower well.
Propagation is simple, by division, and pot-grown plants should be divided and planted in fresh
soil every year for good results. Susceptible to aphids and damaged by severe frost, the tropical
Water Lily is a beautiful addition to a garden, but is not very suitable for public areas in Arriyadh.
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Nymphaea caerulea,
Nymphaeaceae
Egyptian Lotus,
Blue Water Lily