1. 
   Nymphaea ‘Dauben’ (syn. Daubenyana — Daubeny, 1863)
   
   Pale blue tinged flowers in extraordinary abundance. Scales to container size, staying truly pygmy in a small tub. Blooms in shade, late into fall. Highly viviparous, extremely free-flowering, and withstands more cold than most tropicals without going dormant. The undisputed gold standard for tub culture.
   



2. 
   Nymphaea ‘Colorata’ (Peter, 1928)
   
   Pinwheel-shaped 3–4 inch violet-blue blooms with a dramatic daily color change at the flower’s center. Holds up to 8–12 open flowers per plant. Non-viviparous. Great for tubs and small ponds.
   



3. 
   Nymphaea ‘Margaret Mary’ (George L. Thomas Jr., 1964)
   
   Deep rich blue flowers on a compact plant. Heavy bloomer even in shade. Delightfully fragrant, with new leaves lightly mottled purple. Moderately viviparous. One of the most reliable blue tropicals for small spaces.
   



4. 
   Nymphaea ‘Josephine’ (Florida Aquatic Nursery, 1997)
   
   Pure white cup-shaped blooms of 3–4 inches, sweetly scented. Stamens develop attractive red tips late in season. Compact, free-flowering, viviparous, and shade tolerant. Fits any size pond.
   



5. 
   Nymphaea ‘Patricia’ (W.G. O’Brien / William Tricker Inc., 1927)
   
   Widely reported as the only pink-flowered pygmy tropical in the world and never equaled. Viviparous, moderate growth, well adapted to tub culture, and tolerates semi-shade. A legendary and rare cultivar.
   



6. 
   Nymphaea ‘Royal Purple’ (Albert Buskirk, 1927)
   
   Outstanding royal purple blooms 6–8 inches across with golden yellow sepals and a sweet fragrance. Easy to grow, compact in containers, and ideal for tubs or small ponds.
   



7. 
   Nymphaea ‘St. Louis Gold’
   
   Citron yellow medium-sized blooms produced in abundance. Lily pads emerge bronze-green and mature to solid green. Thrives rooted in small crates — specifically noted as ideal for tub gardens.
   



8. 
   Nymphaea ‘Midnight’
   
   Petite deep purple blooms with golden centers and a sweet fragrance. Dark green leaves with reddish-brown and purple undersides. Compact enough for a large aquarium or tub garden. One of the smallest-footprint tropicals available.
   



9. 
   Nymphaea ‘Yellow Thammanoon’ (Primlarp Wasuwat, Thailand)
   
   Small, free-flowering Asian tropical with slightly fragrant, light yellow, semi-star shaped blooms. Well-regarded for container performance in warm climates. Excellent for zones 10–11 and desert Southwest gardens.
   



10. 
    Nymphaea ‘Snow Princess’
    
    Dwarf tropical with pure white blooms from May through September. Responds well to regular fertilization. A clean white option that pairs beautifully with violet or yellow companions in a multi-variety tub planting.
    

1. 
   Nymphaea ‘Pygmaea Helvola’ (syn. ‘Helvola’)
   
   The ultimate true miniature hardy — the benchmark all others are measured against. Star-shaped yellow blooms just 2–3 inches across with heavily mottled pads and a 1–2 foot spread. Vigorous bloomer all summer. Tolerates some shade. Ideal at 6–12 inches depth.
   



2. 
   Nymphaea ‘Joanne Pring’
   
   Miniature pink hardy that flowers very freely. Ranked among the very smallest hardy water lilies alongside Helvola and Tetragona. Bronze-purple mottled leaves mature to solid green. Reported as a stronger bloomer than ‘Perry’s Baby Red’ in heat.
   



3. 
   Nymphaea ‘Perry’s Baby Red’ (Perry Slocum, 1983)
   
   Rich rosy-red cup-shaped blooms, mildly fragrant and very free-flowering. Pads emerge reddish and mature to medium green. Suited to containers and small water gardens. May bloom less in peak summer heat in hot climates.
   



4. 
   Nymphaea tetragona (Pygmy White — true species)
   
   Cup-shaped white blooms up to 2 inches with 7–15 scalloped petals and golden stamens. Slightly fragrant, afternoon-blooming. Grows only 16–18 inches wide — one of the very smallest hardies. Best at 6–12 inches depth.
   



5. 
   Nymphaea ‘Hermine’ (Latour-Marliac, 1910)
   
   Tulip-shaped white blooms with long pointed petals and sunny yellow stamens. Smaller flowers than most modern hybrids. Good for ponds of 8–20 gallons with some shade tolerance. Over 115 years of proven performance.
   



6. 
   Nymphaea ‘Ellisiana’
   
   Free-flowering single red blooms with pointed petals and a light fragrance. Best in full sun. Consistently listed among the most reliable small-spread red hardies. Excellent in a half-barrel where a true red is desired.
   



7. 
   Nymphaea ‘Froebeli’ (Otto Froebel, 1898)
   
   Deep blood-red classic with a long track record. Tolerates cooler water and adapts to some shade better than most red hardies. Very forgiving in container culture and widely praised across the hobby for reliability.
   



8. 
   Nymphaea ‘Laydekeri Lilacea’ (Latour-Marliac, 1892)
   
   Fragrant rose-lilac blooms that deepen in color with each successive day. A true hardy despite its tropical appearance. One of the most compact pink hardies available and consistently noted for restrained spread.
   



9. 
   Nymphaea ‘Graziella’ (Latour-Marliac, 1904)
   
   A changeable-colored hardy with blooms that open soft orange-yellow and deepen to orange-red over successive days. Leaves speckled in maroon. A rare and beautiful color effect in a truly small, container-appropriate package.
   



10. 
    Nymphaea ‘Mini Mali’
    
    Pure-white double-petaled blooms of 2–4 inches over petite green pads. A newer introduction earning strong reviews as one of the best true miniature white hardies currently available. Perfect for patio bowls, whiskey barrels, and small lined containers.
    

Editor’s note: Nymphaea ‘Dauben’ is the single most consistently recommended tropical across nursery and hobbyist sources. Nymphaea ‘Pygmaea Helvola’ holds that same position among hardies. Both are the benchmark cultivars their categories are measured against.

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