Nymphaea Hal Miller

The Nymphaea 'Hal Miller' is a variety of hardy water lily that combines vigour, floribundity, and delicate white flowers with a golden heart. These are flowers with thin and pointed petals, sometimes irregular, slightly fragrant, which rise more or less above the water. The leaves of this water lily are round, large, dark green, occasionally spotted. This easy-to-grow variety thrives in large ponds and natural water features, even in partial shade. Its rhizome should be planted at a depth between 40 cm and 1 m.

The hybrid water lily 'Hal Miller' is a horticultural creation by Meunier dating back to 1940. It is the result of cross-breeding between Nymphaea 'Virginalis' x N. odorata 'Sulfurea grandiflora'. 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 in mature plants starting from spring. The leaves are round and have an open sinus. They are dark green in colour, but some may be slightly spotted with purple-brown. The vigorous plant spreads rapidly over 1.25 m to 2 m. Flowering usually begins in June and continues until September. The double flowers, with 23-24 cream-white petals, measure between 14 and 15 cm in diameter. They float or open at the top of short peduncles, 7 to 10 cm above the surface. It is not uncommon for them to open in small groups. These corollas open during the day and close in the evening. Their center is adorned with bright yellow stamens. 

Each flower lives for 4 to 5 days before withering, it returns underwater and is then replaced by another flower. The flowering is followed by the formation of fruits containing numerous seeds. The fruit ripens underwater and releases the 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, those that have a size proportionate to your pond. With their perfectly shaped flowers, Nymphaeas are among the most beautiful perennial pond plants. Most of them bloom for long weeks, until the beginning of autumn. The water lily is an essential aquatic plant for the proper balance of a garden pond, as it contributes to the oxygenation of the water. Its leaves floating on the water's surface will provide shade and shelter for your fish, which in turn will 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 bears flowers that are sometimes diurnal, sometimes nocturnal, and occasionally fragrant.