Nymphaea Golden West | Pink Tropical Water Lily

A 1936 Randig hybrid still in the trade. Nymphaea 'Golden West' is a medium-sized tropical water lily bred by Martin E. Randig, producing cup to star-shaped blooms in a soft autumn-pink. New leaves emerge mottled with red before maturing to green, so the foliage shifts through the season alongside the flowers.

What You'll Receive

• You will get 1 young and freshly harvested water lily tuber
• All of our water lilies tubers/rhizomes have been inspected before ship out and guaranteed they are viable and perfect to grow in a proper pond environment

Plant Profile

• Common name — Golden West Water Lily
• Scientific name — Nymphaea 'Golden West'
• Hybridizer — Martin E. Randig, 1936
• Type — Tropical water lily
• Flower — Autumn-pink, cup-shaped to star-shaped
• Foliage — New growth mottled with red, maturing to green
• Size — Medium
• Placement — Ponds and container water gardens; also tanks 20 gallons and up

Care

• Difficulty — Beginner
• Sunlight — Full sun; at least 6 hours of direct sun for good flowering
• Water depth — 12 to 36 inches, in still or slow-moving water
• Substrate — Heavy clay or loam in a submerged container
• Planting angle — Tropical tuber: straight up at 90°, crown level with the soil
• Feeding — Aquatic fertilizer tablets through the growing season
• Overwintering — Tropical. Lift the plant in cold climates and store it warm and frost-free until spring
• Propagation — Tuber division

Grower's Notes

• Medium size is the useful part. Many tropicals want a large pond to look right. 'Golden West' stays moderate, which suits a smaller water garden where a full-size cultivar would cover the whole surface.
• That moderate size also makes a tank realistic. Ponds take nearly all of these, but 'Golden West' will grow indoors in an aquarium of 20 gallons or more. Flowers are the hard part — they come only under very high, sun-like light run for long hours daily, so under standard tank lighting it behaves as a foliage plant. Keep cutting the pads back or they shade out everything below.
• The red-mottled new growth gives two-tone foliage on an actively growing plant, before the pads settle to plain green.
• A profuse bloomer, so the color keeps coming through the season rather than arriving in one flush.
• Nearly ninety years in cultivation. Cultivars that stay in the trade that long do so on performance rather than novelty.
• Tropical, so it cannot overwinter in a freezing pond. Lift the tuber before frost or treat it as an annual.

New to planting water lilies? Read our complete Water Lily Planting Guide — tuber angle, soil, depth and the one mistake that kills most first lilies.

Notes

• We don't ship dormant roots. Your tuber arrives fresh and actively growing with 1–2 young leaves already emerged — visible proof it's viable before it leaves us. Young pads may start fully submerged and will reach the surface within about a week in good light.
• Remove yellowing pads and spent flowers as they appear to keep the water clean and push energy into new growth.
• Never release aquarium plants into natural waterways.

At a glance

• Free shipping on orders of $150 or more (after discounts) within the contiguous United States, by USPS.
• Free thermal protection is included with every shipment, all year round.
• Processing: most orders leave us within 1 to 2 business days. Tracking is emailed when your order ships.
• USPS (2 to 5 business days) ships Monday through Saturday.
• UPS 2nd Day Air® ships Monday through Wednesday. Order by Tuesday at 6:00 AM Pacific Time for same-week delivery.
• UPS Next Day Air® ships Monday through Thursday. Order by Wednesday at 6:00 AM Pacific Time for same-week delivery.
• Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands and military addresses ship by USPS at a flat rate shown at checkout.
• Weather holds: during extreme heat or cold we may hold live orders until it's safe to ship.
• We ship within the United States only.

Please bring live plants indoors and unpack them the day they arrive. Every live order is covered by our 24-Hour Live Arrival Guarantee.

The complete rules, including lost packages and address issues, are in our Shipping Policy. If anything conflicts, that policy applies.

Every live order is backed by our 24-Hour Live Arrival Guarantee. If a plant arrives dead, we'll make it right.

How it works

• Tell us within 24 hours of the delivery time on your tracking.
• Send photos of the affected items in their original, unopened packaging, plus a photo of the shipping label, to hello@aquariumplantsfactory.com with your order number.
• We'll make it right with a replacement, store credit or refund for the affected item.

Good to know

• Some melting or yellowing as plants adjust from greenhouse to aquarium life is normal. They regrow from healthy roots and rhizomes.
• Please bring your package indoors and unpack it the day it arrives.
• Free promotional items and shipping charges are not covered.

The complete rules, including what's covered and what voids the guarantee, are in our Returns, Refunds & Live Arrival Guarantee. If anything conflicts, that policy applies.

Please review your state's regulations on restricted plants, as we are committed to not shipping plants that are restricted in your area. Do not release any plants into the wild or waterways, as this can harm local ecosystems by introducing invasive species.

Your cooperation in protecting the environment is appreciated. For continuously updated information, refer to the USDA State Noxious Weed list here.

Thank you for your responsible commitment to environmental preservation.