Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Creating habitat Adding Lily Pads

My grandmother has a rather large decorative garden pond (actually dug when house was being built). She has bought some beautiful lilys in pots for her pond. I have a 3/4 acre pond that is nearly 2 years old and just about at full pool. My question is... If I would add some of these flowering lilys in pots in my pond. What are the chances they will stay in the pots and not take over the rest of the pond?

Ian:

Do a search for "lily pads" in the Controlling unwanted plants and Balance of plants in the environment categories and read the posts on lilies. There are about a dozen of them, and they (should) discuss lily identification and characteristics.

IIRC it is VERY important to identify what kind of Lily Pads you are dealing with, as some varieties are extremely invasive.

Theo is right on the money. Lilies tend to stay in the pots, but need plenty of extramarital care. Fertilizer, pruning, moving when water levels change, that sort of thing.
Many varieties go to seed. Seeds never land in the pot. Seeds don't sprout every year. Some may not sprout for many years. Therein lies the rub of beautiful lilies in ponds.
Personally, I like several non-invasive varieties. They all are easy to control, long term, if you aren't opposed to selective herbicides.

Lusk



Could you be more specific on the varieties?

Thanks

Frank

Here's a couple of links to discussions on lilies:

http://www.pondboss.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=15;t=000016#000003

http://www.pondboss.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=14;t=000144

Frank,
I'll have to look up the varieties, but they are semi-tropical, bloom in different shades of pink and white. I have had night bloomers and day bloomers which grow in water no deeper than three feet. For example, native fragrant white water lilies have been found in water as deep as six feet. I have come across spatterdock in five feet and American lotus in water as deep as eight feet.
The down side to the semi-tropicals is that they don't start growing until May in north Texas. Most of the plants I have grown originated from Strawn Water Gardens in College Station, Texas, Lilypons in Brookshire, Texas, or Tank Hollow Fisheries in Poteet, Texas.