Nymphaea alba is a hardy, perennial deep-water lily that is native to the British Isles. Once established, this beautiful rhizomatous plant provides excellent surface cover for extra-large ponds and lakes, in sunny aspects where the water is slow-moving. A vigorous grower, N. alba sends up large, flat rounded leaves (up to 30cm/12" across) which float on the water's surface, with plenty of smaller submerged leaves below. From June until September, large, white cup-shaped flowers with bright yellow stamens emerge above the water. These showy blooms, which open fully to a star shape in bright sunshine, have a soft, delicate scent. The flower is followed by submerged, berry-like fruits, containing numerous seeds. This plant does need plenty of room to spread, typically increasing surface coverage to around 1.5m (4.9ft) within 5 years. Growing in baskets will help to control the rate of spread; use aquatic soil with a top layer of pea gravel, and ensure that the crown of the plant sits just under the very surface of the planting medium. Position at a depth of around 30cm (12") initially, moving the basket to deeper water in stages as the plant becomes more established. Be sure to deadhead and remove any yellow leaves on a regular basis, and feed during the growing season with an aquatic fertiliser spike. Propagation is from seed or division, the latter being the easiest option during late spring. Plant the divided clumps into small baskets and submerge in shallow water until established enough to be moved into larger baskets, or planted directly into the substrate, in deeper areas.
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