TankBud

Japanese spatterdock

Nuphar japonica

Also known as Spatterdock, Japanese pond lily, Nuphar japonicum

FreshwaterRhizomeRhizome division

Japanese spatterdock (Nuphar japonica)
KENPEI · CC BY-SA 3.0

Care at a glance

Light
Medium light
CO2
CO₂ beneficial
Temperature
61–79°F
16–26°C
Max height
23.6 in
60 cm
Growth rate
Slow
Placement
Background
Type
Rhizome
pH
6.0–7.5
Hardness
2–15 dGH
Spread
11.8 in (30 cm)
Nutrient uptake
Root feeder
Growth region
Submersed or emersed
Difficulty
Medium
Family
Nymphaeaceae
Origin
East Asia (Japan, Korea, China)

Overview

Japanese spatterdock is a slow-growing pond lily that grows from a rhizome, a plant of medium difficulty. It makes a background feature in larger tanks or a centerpiece in a paludarium.

Did you know

Japanese spatterdock rhizomes were once used as food and folk medicine in Japan.

Caring for Japanese spatterdock

Push the roots into a rich substrate and lay the rhizome on top or just into it. Leave the growing tip uncovered, because a fully buried rhizome rots.

Japanese spatterdock wants medium light, and good light keeps its ruffled, translucent submersed leaves. It grows without injected CO2, but grows faster with it. It feeds mainly through its roots, so push root tabs in near it.

It prefers cooler, harder water than most tropical lilies, at 61 to 79°F (16 to 26°C) with a GH of 2 to 15. That makes it a good fit for temperate and subtropical tanks.

It grows slowly and rewards patience. It will try to send leaves to the surface, so remove the floating pads to keep it fully submersed. Cut the rhizome into pieces with several leaves each to propagate it.

Good to know

Japanese spatterdock is a member of the water lily family Nymphaeaceae, in the genus Nuphar, the pond lilies or spatterdocks. Nuphar differs from Nymphaea in its yellow flowers, which stay only half-open. That flower shape is why these plants are also called brandy-bottles. It grows from a stout horizontal rhizome rather than a rounded tuber, though shops often sell it loosely as a bulb. It also reproduces by seed.

In the wild

Japanese spatterdock is native to East Asia, mainly Japan, Korea and parts of China. It grows in ponds, slow streams and pond margins from a thick creeping rhizome. Its submersed leaves are wavy-edged and arrow- to heart-shaped, and tougher floating and emergent leaves develop at the surface. In the open it raises small cup-shaped flowers above the water.

Common questions

Does Japanese spatterdock need to be planted in the substrate?

Yes. Push the roots into the substrate and keep the rhizome at the surface or just under it, with the growing tip uncovered.

Does Japanese spatterdock need CO2?

No, but it helps. Japanese spatterdock can grow without injected CO2, and added CO2 makes it grow faster.

How much light does Japanese spatterdock need?

Japanese spatterdock wants medium light. A light sold for planted tanks covers it.

Does Japanese spatterdock need root tabs?

Yes. Japanese spatterdock draws much of its food through its roots. Push root tabs in near it, or grow it in a nutrient-rich soil.

How do you propagate Japanese spatterdock?

Japanese spatterdock propagates by rhizome division. Cut the rhizome into pieces with several leaves each, then tie or plant each piece.

How tall does Japanese spatterdock grow?

Japanese spatterdock grows to about 23.6 in (60 cm) tall. It grows slowly and rarely needs trimming.

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