Water lily, lotus: Graceful, symbolic ‘jewels’ of aquatic flora

THE water lily, in my opinion, is one of the most graceful and symbolic aquatic plants in the world.

Rising serenely to the surface of ponds, lakes and slow-moving rivers, it has inspired art, religion and poetry across many civilisations.

Beyond beauty, it plays an important ecological role in freshwater ecosystems.

The water lily belongs to the family Nymphaeaceae, with the genus nymphaea being the most widespread.

These perennial aquatic plants grow from thick underground rhizomes, anchored in muddy substrates.

Long, flexible stalks connect the roots to the broad, circular leaves that float on the water’s surface.

The leaves are often glossy green, sometimes with reddish or purple tones underneath.

A distinctive notch runs from the edge to the centre of the leaf, allowing flexibility with water movements.

Although both water lilies and lotus grow in freshwater and look similar at first glance, they belong to different families and have distinct botanical, ecological and cultural characteristics.

The common genus of lotus is the nelumbo, of the Nelumbonaceae family.

The obvious difference is the leaf position as it is raised above water and its shape is perfectly round.

The leaf surface is waxy and water repellent, not glossy like that of the water lily – the self-cleaning effect of the leaves is known as the ‘lotus effect’.

The position of the water lily is that it floats above water; the lotus clearly juts out on tall stalks.

Water lily emits mild to strong fragrance, while the lotus has a strong, sweet smell.

Lotus have cone-shaped pods above the water surface; the water lily’s seed pod is hidden underwater.

It is short-lived, while the lotus seed can survive hundreds of years, and is edible.

Water lilies produce the most striking features. The flowers rise just above or float on the water surface, opening during the day or night depending on the species.

The common colours are white, pink, yellow, blue and purple. Each flower consists of multiple layers of petals surrounding a golden centre of stamens.

Some species like Nymphaea nouchali are fragrant and open fully under full sunlight, while the night blooming species releases a strong scent to attract nocturnal pollinators.

Water lilies are found across tropical, sub-tropical and temperate regions worldwide.

They thrive in calm freshwater bodies such as ponds, marshes, lakes and slow-flowing rivers.

I believe they grow in the roadside drains in Samarahan – I have grown some in my orchard ponds.

The growth can be permanent if the stumps or rhizomes in the bottom-level mud are not removed.

The survival rate is very high – I have seen them thrive in ponds that have been fully drained out for over a period of six months, and even with the mud or sediments removed.

Once the ponds have been refilled naturally by rainwater, the lilies go up floating soon after.

So based on this observation, I can say that it can grow naturally in a new location, provided that the rhizomes are extracted altogether.

Water lilies are popular ornament plants for garden ponds.

They require full sunlight and rich aquatic soil.

Regular removal of old, wilted leaves, and controlled growth regimen are necessary to ensure continuous blooming.

Water lilies are for beauty, but not for food, unlike the lotus of which the roots and seeds can be cooked and eaten.

Happy Gardening!