Perks of USDA hardiness zones 8, 9, 10, 11

Pond owners in USDA hardiness zones 8, 9, 10, and 11 have an advantage with tropical water lilies. It is the privilege of enjoying tropical water lilies year round! The higher your zone the higher the probability that your tropical water lilies will not go dormant. *This is not a guarantee as there are a few other variables to consider such as pond depth, if it freezes in your area often through the winter, etc.

Utopia Aquatic is located in west central Florida which is in zone 9. Last winter (late December 2007 to late February 2008) we had many tropical water lilies bloom nonstop. Just to name a few: N. ‘Foxfire’, N. ‘Alexis’, N. ‘Stan Skinger’, N. ‘Queen of Siam’, N. ‘Midnight Embers’, N. ‘Anne Emmet’, N. ‘Midnight’, N. ‘Stormy Weather’, and N. ‘Blink’. As you can see by this listing there were several active colors as opposed to just your blues and purples.

Another perk is the ease of tubering–the cooler temperatures, low levels of nutrients, and root crowding stimulates the production of tubers. We do nothing other than stop fertilizing late November and perform periodic maintenance such as removal of expired foliage and blooms. Then in early spring when we repot, we find gifts in nearly every pot!

There is also something else that occurs. Colors intensify!

Filed under: Cultivation, Tropical water lilies