Other Names:  Blue Lotus, Sacred Blue Lily of the Nile

Description:

A tropical water lily featuring magnificent, sky blue star-shaped flowers with yellow centers, that fade to violet-pink; easy to care for; water lilies dislike moving water; annual in colder climates

Ornamental Features

Egyptian Blue Water Lily features showy fragrant sky blue star-shaped flowers with yellow eyes and purple anthers at the ends of the stems from early summer to late fall. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its attractive glossy round leaves remain light green in color with showy coppery-bronze variegation throughout the year.

Landscape Attributes

Egyptian Blue Water Lily is an herbaceous annual with a low habit of growth, spreading atop the surface of the water. Its relatively coarse texture can be used to stand it apart from other garden plants with finer foliage.

This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should be cut back in late fall in preparation for winter. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Egyptian Blue Water Lily is ideally suited for growing in a pond, water garden or patio water container, and is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Water Gardens
• Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens
• Container Planting
• Bog Gardens

Planting & Growing

Egyptian Blue Water Lily will grow to be about 10 inches tall at maturity, with a spread of 4 feet. Its foliage tends to remain low and dense right to the water. Although it's not a true annual, this fast-growing plant can be expected to behave as an annual in our climate if left outdoors over the winter, usually needing replacement the following year. As such, gardeners should take into consideration that it will perform differently than it would in its native habitat.

This plant should only be grown in full sunlight. As an aquatic plant, it requires a suitable water garden environment and will benefit from special planting and ongoing care practices; consult one of our in-store experts for further details and instructions. To help this plant achive its best flowering performance, periodically apply a flower-boosting fertilizer from early spring through into the active growing season. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is not originally from North America. It can be propagated by division.

Egyptian Blue Water Lily is a fine choice for the water garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its spreading habit of growth, it is ideally suited for use as a 'spiller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the edges where it can spill gracefully over the pot. Note that when grown in outdoor pots and containers, aquatic plants like this one will require a special growing environment that meets their requirement for consistent moisture.