Nymphaea Barbara Davies

Nymphaea 'Barbara Davies' is a beautiful hardy water lily variety that charms with its semi-double star-shaped flowers in pastel tones, well-scented, which rise above the water. They often bloom in small groups, forming delightful natural bouquets nestled among large spotted leaves. This beautiful flowering continues throughout the summer. It is a large water lily suitable for medium to large bodies of water, its rhizome ideally planted under 60cm of water.

Nymphaea 'Barbara Davies' is a creation of Dr. Robert Kirk Strawn (Florida, U.S.A) dating back to 1993. It is a aquatic perennial with deciduous foliage from the Nymphaeaceae family. This plant develops numerous floating leaves measuring 15 to 25cm in diameter starting from spring. They are almost round and their sinus is widely open. The young leaves are heavily maculate and tinged with purplish-brown, then they become more bronze-green as they unfold, while retaining dark spots. The plant, of beautiful stature, spreads over 1m, or even more. Flowering generally begins in June and continues until late summer, depending on the climate. The solitary flowers, 14cm in diameter, borne on a sturdy peduncle, emerge 10cm above the water. They open into semi-double stars. The petals are lanceolate and pointed, in a soft colour palette including cream white, pale yellow, salmon, and pastel copper. They surround a cluster of yellow stamens. These corollas open during the day and close in the evening. Each flower lives for 4 to 5 days before withering, it returns underwater and is 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 installed.

Choose easy, hardy, and floriferous varieties of water lilies, and above all, ones that are 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 early autumn. Water lilies are essential aquatic plants for maintaining the balance of a garden pond, as they contribute to water oxygenation. Their floating leaves provide shade and shelter for your fish, which in turn protect them from predatory insects like 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.