Red water lily

Nymphaea rubra

Also known as Indian red water lily, Nymphaea pubescens f. rubra, Nymphaea lotus var. rubra

FreshwaterBulb / tuberBulb offsetsPlantlets

Red water lily (Nymphaea rubra) — Aquarium Plants Factory · Used with permission

Care at a glance

Light: Medium light
CO2: CO₂ beneficial
Temperature: 72–86°F; 22–30°C
Max height: 23.6 in; 60 cm

Growth rate: Fast
Placement: Midground
Type: Bulb / tuber
pH: 5.5–7.5
Hardness: 2–15 dGH
Spread: 15.7 in (40 cm)
Nutrient uptake: Root feeder
Growth region: Submersed or emersed
Difficulty: Easy
Family: Nymphaeaceae
Origin: Tropical Asia (India and surrounding regions)

Overview

Red water lily is an easy, fast-growing and hungry bulb plant for the midground, with reddish to bronze leaves underwater.

Did you know

Red water lily blooms at night, with fragrant flowers in pinkish red to purplish red. That flower color is the trait that separates it from the white-flowered Nymphaea lotus.

Caring for red water lily

Press the bulb root side down into a rich substrate, or set root tabs nearby. Leave the growing tip and any shoots above the surface so it does not rot. Potting the bulb in a small container of soil slows it down and stops it hogging the substrate.

Red water lily is a heavy root feeder. Give it iron and it colors up deep red under medium light, though it stays greener in dim tanks. It grows without injected CO2, but grows faster with it. Keep it at 72 to 86°F (22 to 30°C).

It grows fast and races to the surface, throwing floating pads that shade everything below. Trim the petioles at the base to keep it a compact, bushy submersed feature. It also makes baby plants on runners that you can snap off and replant, and the bulb forms offsets. It may periodically drop its leaves and go dormant before resprouting.

Good to know

Red water lily is a member of the water lily family Nymphaeaceae. It is very closely allied to Nymphaea lotus and often treated within the N. lotus and N. pubescens complex. The trade frequently mislabels it as Nymphaea stellata or lumps it with N. pubescens. It also shares the name red tiger lotus with the aquarium strain usually sold as Nymphaea zenkeri.

In the wild

Red water lily is a tropical Asian water lily native to India and neighboring warm regions. It grows in ponds, ditches and slow backwaters. It sprouts from a tuberous bulb and eventually sends large floating pads up on long petioles.

Common questions

Does red water lily need to be planted in the substrate?

Yes, but only partly. Push the roots into the substrate and leave at least the top half of the bulb uncovered so it doesn't rot.

Does red water lily need CO2?

No, but it helps. Red water lily can grow without injected CO2, and added CO2 makes it grow faster.

How much light does red water lily need?

Red water lily wants medium light. A light sold for planted tanks covers it.

Does red water lily need root tabs?

Yes. Red water lily 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 red water lily?

Red water lily propagates by bulb offsets and plantlets. The bulb forms offsets, which can be separated and planted on their own. Small plantlets form on the plant and can be detached once they have a few roots.