14 Shade Tolerant Water Lilies

Many pond owners opt to locate their water garden in a shady location of the yard. This way, they can enjoy watching their fish while being protected from the heat of direct summer sun. While a shaded pond is ideal for cooling off in the summer, it can pose a problem for enjoying the beauty of waterlilies. Most waterlilies typically need a minimum of six hours of direct sunlight in order to produce beautiful blooms. Fortunately, there are a few hardy varieties that will bloom their hearts out with as little as four hours of sunlight per day. Following is our list of favorite shade tolerant water lilies categorized by color, along with their sunlight requirements.

Red Waterlilies

James Brydon – 3 hours sun
Little Champion – 3 hours sun
Red Attraction – 3 hours sun

Yellow Waterlilies

Comanche – 3 hours sun
Texas Dawn – 3 hours sun
Joey Tomocik – 3 hours sun

Pink Waterlilies

Somptuosa – 4 hours sun
Arc-en-ceil – 4 hours sun

Peach Waterlilies

Peaches n Cream – 4 hours sun
Sioux – 4 hours sun

Miniature Varieties

Berit Strawn – 3 to 4 hours sun
Graziella – 3 to 4 hours sun
Helvola – 3 to 4 hours sun
Hermaine – 3 to 4 hours sun

Toss aside the notion that you can’t enjoy water lilies if you have a partially shaded pond. You can find shade tolerant water lilies at your local water gardening store, or you can order them online from a reputable aquatic plant retailer.

Aquascape Lifestyles Magazine

The spring/summer issue of Aquascape Lifestyles magazine is now available! View the flip version, or download the pdf file.