Yellow to apricot, and hardy. Nymphaea 'Inner Light' is a hardy water lily with cup-shaped blooms in a soft yellow-apricot blend, over broad green pads whose new growth emerges mottled with purple. The color shift between flower and new foliage is what makes it worth a second look.
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 — Inner Light Water Lily
- Scientific name — Nymphaea 'Inner Light'
- Type — Hardy water lily
- Flower — Yellow to apricot, cup-shaped, lightly fragrant
- Foliage — Broad green pads; new growth mottled with purple
- Bloom season — Extended through the growing season
- Placement — Ponds, container water gardens, or tanks 20 gallons and up; centerpiece
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 — Hardy rhizome: 45°, growing tip up, at the pot edge pointing toward the center
- Feeding — Aquatic fertilizer tablets through the growing season
- Overwintering — Hardy. Lower the container to the deepest part of the pond for winter, below the freeze line
- Propagation — Rhizome division
Grower's Notes
- The purple-mottled new growth is the feature people miss. Fresh pads come up marked with purple and green down before settling to plain green, so an actively growing plant shows two-tone foliage all season. Against yellow-apricot flowers it is an unusual combination in a hardy lily.
- Hardy, so no lifting and no indoor storage. Lower the pot to the deepest part of the pond in autumn and it returns in spring.
- Yellow-toned hardy lilies are far less common than pinks and whites, and apricot rarer still.
- A long bloom season, which spreads the display rather than concentrating it in a few weeks.
- Feed through the growing season with tablets pushed into the soil, never loose into the water.
- Grown in a tank, treat it as a foliage plant first. Twenty gallons and up will hold it, and the purple-mottled pads are the reason to try — but flowers need light near full-sun intensity across a long daily photoperiod, which few aquarium fixtures deliver. Pads come quickly either way, so plan on trimming them back regularly.
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.
Customers praised these hardy water lilies for arriving healthy with "sprouting leaves" and "growing quickly." Fast shipping and great condition upon arrival were frequently mentioned. Plants thrived in ponds and aquariums. One minor concern: some tubers were smaller than expected and one went dormant initially.
- All are doing great. Growing quickly! Shipping was super.
- Lilies arrived fast in great condition and sprouted new leaves quickly.
- All three arrived timely with sprouting leaves. They look great!
J
Came in great condition.
J
We ordered 3 water lilies. All are doing great. Growing quickly! Shipping was super. We are very pleased and will order more in the future.
T
Lilies arrived fast in great condition and sprouted new leaves quickly. One tuber either died or went into hibernation shortly after arrival but I think it's because they're in a holding tank for now. The tuber itself is still hard, not soft, so I think it'll come back.
C
All three of my Hardy Lotus Tubers arrived timely with sprouting leaves. They look great and I’m anxious to get them in the Koi Pond and enjoy some beautiful blooms this summer.
A
Plants are alive and improving. A recommendation is to include some notes regarding the best practices to sow and care the plants.
M
Pretty and viable. They are in the pond now, but much smaller than my other nymphaea. I like the variety. They haven’t bloomed yet but seem to be healthy.
l
Waterliies
My order came in 3 days. All plants looked great.
S
Bought two water lillys and received a third one for free. They arrived on time. Put in the pond and the leaves are starting to grow. Happy with the purchase. Thanks.
R
They arrived healthy and are doing great in my aquarium. Thanks guys
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