Nymphaea 'Chromatella' Waterlily : A History

What is the best selling waterlily variety of all time? 'Chromatella' (aka 'Marliacea Chromatella') ^#Ad is arguably the most iconic hardy waterlily in the Western World of horticultural history. The story of this popular yellow hardy water lily runs through the most important names, places and events in modern waterlily history. In the northern hemisphere, white was the ONLY color of native waterlilies in the cool temperate regions. Chromatella was bred by Joseph Bory Latour-Marliac at his nursery in Temple-sur-Lot, France, and developed around 1877 making it one of his earliest and most successful cultivars.

Marliac was the first person to successfully hybridize hardy waterlilies, a feat seemingly impossible at the time that many suspected he'd invented a secret technique. He essentially had, taking his hybridization methods to his grave. Its parentage remains uncertain, but is generally believed to involve the white Nymphaea alba and possibly the yellow-flowered N. mexicana from much warmer regions. Chromatella became celebrated for its sulfur-like, soft canary yellow blooms, beautifully mottled and marbled lily pads, reliable flowering performance, and remarkable cold hardiness.

Marliac's Rainbow Of Waterlilies Introduced To The World

In 1889, Marliac exhibited his colored hardy waterlily hybrids at the Paris Exposition Universelle. It was the same world's fair that unveiled the Eiffel Tower and celebrated the 100 year anniversary of the French storming the Bastille. European and North American horticulturalists were stunned that hardy lilies could exist in pinks, yellows, and reds - and not just the native white N. alba. Marliac won major exhibition awards at the expo and his nursery was put on the world map overnight.

Artist Monet Made Marliac's Hybrid Waterlilies Famous

It is believed the expo was where Claude Monet first encountered Marliac's lilies, igniting his fascination and leading to his purchase of plants for his home garden pond at Giverny, a small village in Normandy, France. Monet lived there from 1883 until his death in 1926.

Monet's Paintings Featured This Yellow Waterlily

There, Monet constructed an elaborate water garden with a Japanese-style bridge and lily pond, planting Marliac's cultivars including Chromatella. He didn't paint from imagination: He built the pond, planted the lilies, and painted what he saw from his own garden for decades, producing the legendary Water Lilies (Nymphéas) series. The warm canary yellow blooms visible in paintings such as the 1916 "Water Lilies" are widely believed to represent Chromatella specifically.

Most enduringly, his ponds and gardens at Giverny today are a major tourist destination preserved to reflect Monet's lifetime. His art has graced museums around the world and to this day, the Chromatella Waterlily ^#Ad remains in wide commercial production and availability nearly 150 years after its introduction. It's a remarkable legacy shared by few plants in western horticultural history. The Waterlily Bear grows it in his patio watergarden as a tribute to Marliac and Monet's roles in water gardening history@

Desert-Friendly Water Gardening Tips

Is desert watergardening an oxymoron? If you’re in an extreme and hot, dry climate like the desert Southwest, water gardening can be challenging! The Waterlily Bear has moments thinking he should be growing cacti and succlents like normal desert gardeners. Managing sun-drenched patio ponds baking in the desert heat and gently poaching goldfish and waterlilies can be both beautiful and manageable with the right choices and care of your pond.

1. Choose Desert-Adapted Pond Plants

Opt for flower colors, cultivars, and species that tolerate heat, full sun, and high UV radiation levels. Examples include Hardy water lilies (Nymphaea spp.) which can easily survive mild winters. Hardies perform best in spring and fall. Extreme summer temps often inhibit flower bud formation during the most brutal months of heat extremes in the desert. That may be okay, because that's when tropical water lily varieties are happiest and are in their peak blooming phase.

Tropical waterlilies with lighter colored petals (e.g., Pale Blue, Pink, Yellow and White) Tropical waterlily blossoms will hold up better midsummer than dark red, blue or purple lily flowers that absorb the intense sun and infrared radiation a bit too readily.

Sacred Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera or N. lutea) are quick to sprout in water and can handle heat. But above-ground tub and container water gardens expose the root rizhomes to more extreme daily temperature swings that might ihibit lotus flowering and bud set. Consider sinking a small tub garden into the sand and gravel to mitigate root temps for improved growth and flowering in the desert.

Marginal bog plants like arrowhead (Sagittaria latifolia), pickerel rush (Pontederia cordata), and cattails (Typha spp.) can add vertical hight and interest, varied leaf shapes and texture. They hold up well here in the Mojave / Sonoran Desert region.

Heat-tolerant perennials such as Texas star hibiscus (Hibiscus coccineus), garden cannas (Canna hybrids), and purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea).

2. Container Water Garden Advantages In The Desert

There are many advantages to mini-pond water gardening in a desert climate. Tub gardens can be partially drained and moved over the course of the growing season if needed to compensate for changing angle of the sun. Successful water gardening in the desert often hinges on taking advantage of less intense early morning sun - then shade protection during the worst of afternoon heat.

For small spaces, use heavy, mucky black potting soil in a tub or container. This retains moisture and nutrients better than light soil or desert sands. Ensure pots have drainage holes and a liner to prevent soil from washing out - but are able to breathe and release gases from decomposing organic matter as soil temps rise during the day.

3. Sunlight & Water Management

Provide a minimum 4–6 hours of direct, full morning sun daily for most tropical and hardy lilies to bloom well. Some varieties are known for for flowering well in semi-shaded areas.

In summer, evaporation and plant transpiration rates will be high. Desert soils and water sources tend to be alkaline, you may see mineral buildup on the lilypads. Top-off water daily and allow ponds to overflow to dilute and flush out mineral accumulation.

During the absolute extremes of high summer desert temps (normally in July and August) - You may want to use shade cloth or a pop-up canopy to minimize direct sun exposure during the heat of the afternoon. Blooms will get fried, lilypads will get crisp around the edges when temps get above 110F.

4. Mild Desert Winter Pond Survival Guide

Some tropical water lilies can survive mild winters in the Mohave and Sonoran Deserts if the water stays above freezing. Frosts and freezes are rare in the low-desert. At higher desert altitudes and during colder snaps, a fabric cover can be used temporarily.

5. Desert Pond Maintenance

Such warm desert growing conditions favor rapid growth. Trim dead leaves regularly to minimize diseases, algae buildup. Remove excess plant matter to avoid stagnation.

Use small goldfish and snail population for natural algae control, but keep numbers low to avoid overgrazing.

Avoid over-fertilizing! Aquatic plants in containers benefit from fertilizer tabs pushed into the soil. Jobe's and Miracle Gro mini sticks for flowering plants work gently and reliably. Pond tabs however should be pushed deep into the soil around the pot's edges - Not close to the crowns.

6. Pest & Disease Prevention

Keep water clean and flush it periodically to reduce algae and pests. If a pond's ecosystem gets out of whack, drain 3/4th's of a pond's water - without disturbing the sludge at the bottom, and refill to do a reset of the biological balance.

Watch for aphids or excess snails; remove by hand or use natural predators. Lizards and desert rats will sometimes munch on lily pads or pond plants in the middle of the night.

Ensure good air circulation to prevent fungal issues on foliage. Generally not a problem in the low-humidity of the desert. However, Crown Rot is a soil borne fungus and can kill waterlily plants as the fungi invade the tuber and growing point.

7. Aquatic Plant Propagation

Divide tubers and repot lotus and waterlilies in late winter for new plants. January and February are good times to repot to allow pond plants to establish root system before temps warm and water gardening season kicks in. Plant tropical waterlilies in March or April when water temps consistently hit 70F+.

Propagate lotus from seeds or healthy sections of rizhomes with growing points. Hardy lilies can be divided anytime from tuber divisions.

By selecting heat-tolerant species and, using optimally placed pond containers with good soil, and managing water quality carefully, you can enjoy a vibrant, low-maintenance water garden even in the desert heat.

Get Free Pond Plants Near Me?

You might be able to source popular floating, bog, marginal and aquatic pond plants near you at a low-cost or even free. Finding a local source of pond plants may be ideal because they're likely to be optimally suited for your particular growing zone and climate. If they grow and thrive nearby, they'll surely grow and perform well in your local environment and water gardening adventures.

Local Pond Plant Sources

I would ask myself: "Where can I get some interesting pond plants near me? - Were can I locally source aquatic water garden plants for my pond nearby?" Well, put on your thinking cap and ponder where in your neighborhood or region a desirable water plant is likely to be found growing and available. Think of nearby lakes, marshes, bogs and riverfront areas you could gain access to that might have a surprising variety of popular shallow water plants for your pond's setup.

Gathering Pond Plants From Nature

Far be it from me to advocate a lawless life of gardening enthusiast thievery. You just can't go mucking about on public lands, national or municipal parks and dig around in the mud for for water gardening plants or critters in nearby bogs, ponds, lakes or rivers. But you CAN grab a shovel, dig in the muck and do it on private land with the consent of the owner for free - or maybe you have to bribe them with 5 bucks for access. Ethically and Legally sourced, organically grown aquatic plants near you for your water garden are an option!

Water Garden Plants I've Found Near Me

An outing for 5-finger discount water plant shopping might be exploring nearby lakes, river flats and ponds where owners will grant waterfront access. When I was MacGizmoGuy, I had a computer client with a lakeshore home that had purple pickerel plants (Pontederia Cordata) and broad leafed arrowheads (Saggitaria Latifolia) in the shallows around their dock and shoreline - with native white waterlilies (Nymphaea Odorata) slightly further out. They considered them a nuisance that impeded their swimming and boating activities - and were more than happy to share some. A friend who lived 2 miles down the gravel road from me had native Blue Flag irises (Iris Versicolor) growing in the ditch alongside her driveway. Score! In short, I found the plants I needed near me - and using a large rubberized farm animal feeding tub - I created a little mini water garden pond I could view just a few feet away from my woodland cabin's back window.

New Colors Of Pickerel Pond Plants

Pickerel weed (Pontederia Cordata), also called pickerel rush, is a native North American pond plant. It's a common shallow water marginal aquatic plant with striking purple or blue hued flower spikes and narrow heart-shaped leaves. It grows 1.5-3 feet tall, thrives in container water gardens, and blooms summer through fall. Pickerel Rush ^#Ad is a perfect, easy to grow emergent plant for small ponds, patio water features, and balcony setups.

Various Pickerel Plant Blossom Colors

Another advantage of Pontederia Cordata for container gardeners is color variety. Most aquatic nurseries typically offer the classic purple/blue flower variety, but there are white pickerel weed ('Alba') ^#Ad as well as pink pickerel rush ^#Ad plants ('Pink Pons' or 'Singapore Pink') — giving you more water garden color design options for small patio pond setups. Try one of each - all three colors in a single 8"-10" planting pot - and you'll have a lifetime supply by the end of summer.

Pickerel Weed's Big Brother

By the way, there's also another variant: Pontederia Lanceolata. The giant Lance-Leafed Pickerel is native to Central and South America as well as US southeastern states. At 3-5 feet tall, the lance-leaf pickerel rush is way too big for most container pond setups. P. Lanceolata has interesting knife-shaped leaves with much more sizable and impressive flower spikes the size of a hot dog, but is only commercially available in the standard purple-blue form.

Right Size For Tub Water Gardening

For container tub water gardens, Pontederia cordata (common pickerelweed) is the better choice. It stays compact, has manageable roots, and blooms reliably in confined spaces. Save P. lanceolata for larger setups, or perhaps a clump in its own specimen tub garden. It's gorgeous, but will quickly outgrow and overwhelm small containers or mini-ponds.

Growing And Propagating Pickerels

Both species of pickeral plants are easily growable in Zones 3-10, ranging from the Canadian border on down. They're quite winter hardy in most climates. They're not fond of deep water over 12 inches, so you'll only see them growing along the very margins of lakes and ponds. Just 2"-8" water depth is all they need in a mini-pond setup. Even here in the hot, low desert, pickerels will die back to the mud-line over the cooler winter months, but new shoots will reemerge in the spring. The thick, starchy roots send off side shoots near the crown throughout the growing season. They grow so vigorously you can divide them at any time. The Waterlily Bear often prunes off and composts the oldest parts of the rhizome, and just keeps the top two inches near the crown when I repot in the spring.



Top 10 Viviparous Tropical Water Lily Cultivars: Curated List

What are the 10 most viviparous tropical waterlily varieties? Water gardener's love free plants and the free viviparous plantlets that form at the center of lilypads are a highly desirable characteristic. I had all the major AI Chatbots generate a list of 10 waterlilies with known vivparity - then aggregated the results from Chat-GPT, Claude, Grok, Gemini, DeepSeek & CoPilot into a single Top-Ten consensus. Here are the exact named waterlily varieties that you might want to help guide your easy-to-propagate waterlily plant purchases:

1. 'Tina' ^#Ad — Deep violet-purple flowers with yellow centers on green pads; medium spread (3–4 ft); full sun to partial shade. High viviparity.

2. 'Dauben' / 'Daubeniana' ^#Ad — Very free-flowering light blue to white star-shaped flowers on compact green pads; highly variable small-to-medium spread depending on container; full sun to partial shade. Cool water tolerant; among the most strongly and reliably viviparous tropical water lily of all cultivars.

3. 'Islamorada' — Purple to lavender flowers, sometimes with white striations, on green pads; medium spread; full sun to partial shade.

4. 'Panama Pacific' ^#Ad — Deep violet-purple to reddish plum flowers on green pads with light reddish-bronze mottling; medium spread; full sun.

5. 'Carla's Sonshine' ^#Ad — The only viviparous yellow tropical. Medium-sized deep yellow star-shaped flowers set against olive-green pads; medium spread; free-flowering, shade tolerant, suitable for small, medium, or large water gardens.

6. 'Innocence' — Pure white flowers on green pads with maroon mottling; medium spread; full sun.

7. 'Shirley Byrne' — Deep pink flowers with yellow centers on solid green pads; medium spread; shade tolerant.

8. 'August Koch' ^#Ad — Wisteria-blue to rich blue flowers, leathery solid green pads; medium to large spread; full sun; notably fragrant with high viviparity.

9. 'Queen of Siam' ^#Ad — Deep pink to purple-pink flowers on heavily mottled green pads; medium to large spread; full sun. Alternately, 'Patricia' from Wm. Tricker nurseries is a good pygmy vivip option for tub gardens.

10. 'Margaret Mary' — Rich blue stellate flowers on green pads with purple mottling on new growth; small to medium spread; shade tolerant; excellent for container water gardens.

A few notes: 'Dauben' is widely considered the gold-standard viviparous cultivar and the most forgiving for beginners and container tub garden growers. 'Margaret Mary' edged out 'Mrs. Martin E. Randig,' 'Charles Thomas,' and 'Albert Greenberg' got squeezed out at the #10 slot but worthy of mention due to their confirmation in peer-reviewed genetic studies and are cited in scientific literature for confirmed vivipary.

Waterlily Bear's review of moisture loving iris species for water gardens. Which irises do best in standing water versus those preferring to be planted beside a pond? Read More…