Nymphaea stellata

Nymphaea stellata is a tropical day-blooming water lily native to India, Sri Lanka, and Southeast Asia, where it colonises warm, shallow lakes, ponds, and rice paddies. The floating pads are rounded to slightly oval, mid-to-dark green on the upper surface with a distinctive reddish-purple underside, and the star-shaped flowers are pale blue to soft violet with bright yellow stamens. The blooms are smaller than those of N. caerulea but produced in great abundance over a long season.

This is one of the most adaptable of the tropical blue water lilies, tolerating a somewhat wider range of water conditions than many of its relatives. It is suitable for medium-sized heated ponds, tub water gardens, and large open-top aquariums. In aquarium conditions without strong overhead light the plant will remain primarily vegetative — floating pads and submerged leaves — without flowering.

N. stellata benefits from a nutrient-rich growing medium and prefers warm temperatures throughout the year. In cooler climates it can be overwintered indoors in a heated aquarium to prevent tuber dormancy and loss.