Dwarf Water Lily | Nymphaea 'Xiafei'
Chinese waterlily with little Magenta blooms
Grown by Caroline
Enfield
Perfectly happy plants, or your money back
Specialist overnight plant delivery
The highlights
- Zone 3 - Deep Water
- A sun-loving plant
- Flowers all summer from June to September
- A small waterlily, perfect for more compact ponds
Description
- A highly attractive waterlily variety with petite magenta coloured blooms amid green foliage edged with scarlet
- Flowers all summer from June to September
- Bred in China and introduced to the UK at the beginning of the 21st century
- A small, compact variety which will look stunning in mini ponds
- Floating plants provide shade and shelter for fish as well as protecting them from predators like herons. Also reduces the growth of algae.
- Grow in full sun and still water, away from fountains and splashing water
What To Expect
Supplied as:
Height on arrival:
Eventual height:
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Time to first crop:
Flower colour:
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How To Grow
Good pest and disease resistance
The most common pests are Water Lily Aphids, the Water Lily Beetle and the China Mark Moth. Water lily aphids are sap-suckers - you may see them on the underside and top of the pads and top of the stems. They can cause yellowing and curling of leaves and destruction of buds and flowers. Control them by hosing down the leaves and stems and squashing and rubbing off with fingers. They can also be drowned by dropping the lily down so leaves are submerged for a day or two. Water lily beetles are small brown beetles whose larvae strip the leaf surface, creating holes and causing the leaves to shrivel and die. Adult beetles also feed on the flowers. They hibernate over winter in poolside plants so cutting these down in autumn will help. Leaves should be hosed down regularly to remove larvae, and adult beetles and larvae can be removed by hand. The China Mark Moth cuts oval shapes from the leaf margins, which can cause extensive damage. Check the underside of leaves and squash the protective cases and brush off. Alternatively remove the affected leaves and burn. Diseases: Water lily Crown Rot causes yellowing leaves which sometimes become mottled. The leaf stems then become soft, slimy and blackened and later break away from the crown. The crown itself will be soft and gelatinous with black tissue inside and will have a bad smell. You should remove and destroy the infected plant before it spreads. Water lily leaf spot causes red or grey-brown spots on the leaves and eventually rot. It looks bad but isn’t too harmful so just remove any affected leaves as soon as they appear. MORE
Plant in water
Needs a permanently wet soil.
Full sun
Position in a pond where the plants will receive at least 6-8 hours of sunlight daily in spring/summer.
Wet, poorly drained soil
Plant in a pond with poorly drained soil. Clay or loam is best.
Feeding may be needed
No feeding is needed if you plant your nymphaea straight into a mature pond with a good layer of sediment, but in newer ponds it's a good idea to feed in the spring, using a slow release tablet fertiliser to make sure that excess nutrients do not leak into the pond and encourage algae. ?v=1613300718
Planting Calendar
- Best time to plant
- Harvest
- Flower
Enfield
Meet Caroline
A deep dive into sustainable gardening
Nestled amongst wildlife meadows and resident ducks, Caroline’s award winning pond plant nursery in Enfield has been making a splash since 1965, when they invented the (recycled, obvs) aquatic basket. Sixty years and multiple RHS gold medals later, they’re still surprising us with new varieties every year!
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Growing with Roots
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Our plants are grown in the UK
Specialist UK growers we know and trust grow your plants the traditional way, with organic fertiliser and biological pest control. They pick only the healthiest plants for you, professionally pruning them so that they’ll grow strong and well shaped.
Our plants are delivered overnight
Your plants are sent to you fresh from the field in our plastic free box that’s specially designed to hold them tight, then securely delivered by specialist plant couriers - straight from the grower to your garden within 24 hours.
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We want your plants to have a long and healthy life. Expect easy-to-follow grow guides and videos devised by our team of experts.
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We’re confident that you’ll be delighted with your new plants. Need help? Alice and her team are here to guarantee you’re perfectly happy.
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Best Pond Plants: Top 5 Plants to Bring Your Pond to Life
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The delivery timescale for each plant is on the web page (near the 'add to basket's button). You'll receive a dispatch email with an exact delivery date once your plants are on their way, so you can get the garden ready.
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