Santa Cruz Waterlily is one of two species in this genus and is non-viviparous, meaning that the seeds do not develop before they detach from the parent plant. This night blooming specimen has a wide spread of 15-18 ft. The lily pads are up to 6.5 feet wide and the large blooms are fragrant and many. It requires shallow, quiet water such as the backwaters of large river systems. Grow as an annual in NC without winter protection. It requires a large water garden. The seeds from this plant require that they be kept in water. Allowing them to dry out is a sure death of the seed. Each plant requires approximately 40 inches of water to perform at its best. Only opening for two consecutive nights, the pineapple like scented flower will be white during the first night, and a purple-red the second night. The flowers are considered to be thermogenic, in that they create their own heat while they are budding, That allows the plant to more efficiently release its fragrance to surrounding beetles once opened. As the flower opens, it will rise above the water surface. After opening, the flower will slip below the water surface. Each flower has several whorls of petals and stamens that are arranged in a spiral. A typical plant can have as many as 50 flowers each summer. The leaves are red-purple in color with soft hairs on the underside. The pad is a bright green with a tall rim. Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No known issues.
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)
Soil texture
Loam (Silt)
Soil drainage
Frequent Standing Water
Available space
6-feet-12 feet; 12-24 feet
Growth rate
Rapid
Maintenance
Medium
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Horizontal; Spreading
Texture
Medium
Leaf color
Green; Purple/Lavender
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf shape
Orbicular
Leaf size
> 6 inches long, > 6 inches wide
Hairs present
Yes
Leaf detail
Bright green lily pads up to 6.5 feet wide, with thick upturned leaf margins that form a rim up to 7 inches high. Undersides may be reddish. Sharp spines cover the underneath of leaves and stems.
Flower color
Cream/Tan; Pink; White
Flower value
Fragrant; Showy
Flower form
Head
Flower shape
Cup
Flower size
> 6 inches
Flower detail
Up to 12 inch wide creamy white flowers become pink on the second day. They are strongly fragrant, night-blooming and very free flowering.
Bloom time
Summer
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit detail
Large, prickly, berry-like fruits. Seeds are numerous, up to .4 inches in diameter.