Nymphaea Gregg's Orange Beauty

The Nymphaea 'Gregg's Orange Beauty' is a hardy water lily that is truly unique, not only because of the colour of its yellow to pink flowers, but also because of its dark red leaves speckled with black. Not content with being beautiful, the large flowers are also fragrant. The moderately vigorous plant is perfectly suited to medium-sized bodies of water. Its rhizome should be planted under 40 cm to 1 m of water, ideally under 60 to 80 cm. This water lily is sure to stand out in a water garden.

The 'Gregg's Orange Beauty' water lily is a horticultural creation from Perry's Water Gardens, dating back to 1996. Its presumed parents are the water lilies 'Texas Dawn' and 'Perry's Red Beauty'. It is an aquatic perennial with deciduous foliage that belongs to the Nymphaeaceae family. This plant develops numerous floating leaves measuring 15 to 20 cm in diameter on a mature plant, starting in spring. They are round with an open sinus. When they first emerge, they are a dark red colour speckled with black, a rare colour among water lilies. As the leaf ages, it becomes greener, but the spots remain. Sometimes, the edges of the leaves are raised. The underside of the leaf remains a beautiful red with black spots. The plant, of medium to large stature, will spread over 1 m to 1.50 m. The abundant flowering begins in June and continues until September. The double flowers, measuring between 12 and 15 cm in diameter, are solitary and emerge a few centimetres above the surface. They are fragrant. Initially cup-shaped, they open up into a bowl shape. The outer petals are a bright pink and the inner petals are a bright yellow. The corollas open during the day to reveal a cluster of golden yellow stamens, then close at night. Each flower lives for 4 to 5 days before wilting, returning underwater, and being replaced by another flower. The flowering is followed by the formation of fruits containing numerous seeds. The fruit ripens underwater and releases floating seeds that will eventually sink and germinate in the mud. Water lilies are hardy as long as their rhizome does not freeze in winter. It is important to ensure that the water does not freeze at the depth where they are planted.

Choose varieties of water lilies that are easy, hardy, and floriferous, and above all, ones that are proportionate to your pond. With their perfectly shaped flowers, water lilies are among the most beautiful perennial pond plants. Most of them bloom for weeks, until early autumn. Water lilies are essential aquatic plants for maintaining the balance of a garden pond, as they contribute to the oxygenation of the water. Their floating leaves provide shade and shelter for your fish, which in turn protect them from predatory insects such as aphids.

The genus name comes from the Greek nymphaia and the Latin name nymphaea, which means "water lily". They were inspired by the nymphs of Greek and Latin mythology. Nymphaea produces flowers that are sometimes diurnal, sometimes nocturnal, and occasionally fragrant.