Yellow pond lily

Nuphar lutea

Also known as Spatterdock, Brandy bottle, Yellow water lily, Cow lily, Nuphar luteum

FreshwaterBulb / tuberRhizome divisionseeds

Yellow pond lily (Nuphar lutea) — Uoaei1 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Care at a glance

Light: Medium light
CO2: CO₂ beneficial
Growth rate: Medium
Placement: Background
Type: Bulb / tuber
Temperature: 50–82°F (10–28°C)
pH: 6.0–7.5
Hardness: 2–15 dGH
Max height: 23.6 in (60 cm)
Spread: 15.7 in (40 cm)
Nutrient uptake: Root feeder
Growth region: Submersed or emersed
Difficulty: Medium
Origin: A hardy water lily of ponds, lakes, and slow rivers across Europe, western Asia, and North Africa, rooted in mud with leaves that reach the surface.
Family: Nymphaeaceae

Overview

Give it a deep, nutrient rich substrate and let the rhizome feed heavily, since it is a strong root feeder. Moderate light and CO2 favor the prized submerged leaves, and you should trim floating pads to keep light reaching lower plants. It tolerates cool water, so it works in unheated or temperate tanks.

In the wild

Nuphar lutea grows from a thick, spongy rhizome and pushes up two kinds of leaves, wavy translucent underwater leaves shaped like lettuce and tougher floating pads. In the aquarium the submerged leaves are the real draw, but the plant is large and will send pads to the surface if allowed. Its yellow, bottle shaped flowers rise just above the water in the wild.

Good to know

Nuphar is a water lily that produces both thin submerged leaves and leathery floating pads, plus small yellow flowers held above the water. It grows from a large starchy rhizome that anchors it in the mud.