The yellow water lily is an aquatic perennial plant in the water lily family (Nymphaeaceae) native to Europe, northwest Africa and western Asia. It is found in a wide range of conditions in moving to stagnant waters of shallow lakes and ponds, ditches, streams and rivers and canals in acidic and alkaline water from sea level to 10,00 feet in altitude. The Genus name comes from the Persian word nufar . The specific epithet lutea , is Latin meaning yellow. There are 8 species in this Genus with some being native to North America. This plant can spread up to 6 feet wide and can be 2 feet tall when in bloom. Plant in full sun to partial shade in 1 to 3 feet of water directly in the the muddy bottom or in submerged containers. It will spread by seed and it's thick spongy rhizomes. The 1 to 2.5-inch wide yellow flower is cup-shaped, appears on tall stems above the water and blooms most of the summer. The floating leaves are oval to heart-shaped and up to 16 inches wide. There are often smaller thinner submerged leaves with wavy margins. The plant is currently being researched for medical uses. Use the yellow water lily in a large water garden. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems. Watch for the water lily beetle and water lily aphid.
Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds
whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.
No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.
Also noted by NC State
Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell
apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil pH
Acid (<6.0); Alkaline (>8.0); Neutral (6.0-8.0)
Soil drainage
Frequent Standing Water
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Mature size
Height: 0 ft. 6 in. - 2 ft. 0 in. | Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Medium
Canopy layer
4 - Herbaceous (1-3 ft)
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Spreading
Texture
Medium
Leaf color
Green
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf shape
Elliptical; Ovate
Leaf margin
Entire; Undulate
Leaf feel
Leathery
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, > 6 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
The leathery green elliptic to ovate leaves are 4 to 16 inches across. Smaller and thinner submerged leaves have wavy margins.
Flower color
Gold/Yellow
Flower form
Solitary
Flower shape
Cup
Flower size
1-3 inches
Flower detail
1 to 2.5 yellow cup-shapped flowers on tall stem above the water. Flowers most of the summer
Bloom time
Summer
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit detail
Ridge capsule 1 to 1.5 inches long.
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
Green flower stalks
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Non-native
Origin
Europe, northwest Africa and western Asia.
Wildlife value
Turtles, birds, deer, moose, porcupines, and muskrats eat various parts of the plant. Water lily leaves provide a landing pad for thirsty bees while offering shelter for aquatic wildlife beneath the surface. The shade cast from the leaves also helps to prevent the growth of algae.