Nymphaea gigantea

Nymphaea gigantea is native to tropical northern Australia and southern New Guinea, where it grows in warm, shallow lakes and billabongs with long dry and wet seasons. It is one of the largest flowered water lilies in the world, with blooms regularly reaching 25–35 cm in diameter in shades ranging from sky-blue and lavender to soft purple-pink. The floating pads can exceed 60 cm in diameter, making this a plant of truly impressive scale.

In cultivation, N. gigantea requires consistently warm water (24°C minimum), strong sunlight, and a large growing area to reach its full potential. It is best suited to tropical and subtropical outdoor ponds, or large indoor heated water features. It flowers prolifically throughout the warm season, with individual blooms lasting 3–4 days and displaying a pleasant sweet fragrance.

This species is more demanding than most popular water lilies and is not well suited to small ponds or cool temperate climates. However, for the aquatic garden enthusiast with adequate space and warmth, it is one of the most breathtaking flowering aquatic plants available.

Light: Full sun essential — minimum 8 hours of direct or very bright artificial light. CO2: Not applicable for outdoor cultivation. Fertilisation: Generous aquatic fertiliser tablet supplementation every 4–6 weeks; requires very rich growing medium. Placement: Large tropical or heated pond; minimum 200 L water volume; depth 40–100 cm. Propagation: Side tubers from the rhizome; seed germination at 26–30°C.