Nymphaea Purple Joy | Purple & White Tropical Water Lily

White petals tipped in purple. Nymphaea 'Purple Joy' is a tropical day-blooming water lily whose bicolor flowers open white and finish in vivid purple at the petal edges, around a golden-yellow center. The blooms open with the sun and close at night, so the display changes through the day.

What You'll Receive

One young, viable Nymphaea 'Purple Joy' tuber with a healthy rhizome and 1–2 actively growing leaves, ensuring quick establishment and vigorous growth once planted.

Plant Profile

• Common name — Purple Joy Water Lily
• Scientific name — Nymphaea 'Purple Joy'
• Type — Tropical water lily, day-blooming; not winter-hardy
• Flower — Bicolor: white petals brushed with vivid purple edges, golden-yellow center; 5–7 inches across, lightly sweet scent
• Foliage — Bright green floating pads
• Bloom habit — Opens in sunlight, closes at night
• Bloom season — Late spring through early fall
• Placement — Ponds, patio containers and fountains, or heated tanks 20 gallons and up; centerpiece

Care

• Difficulty — Beginner
• Sunlight — Full sun, 6–8 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Water — Best growth at 75–90°F
• Water depth — 6–18 inches over the crown
• Substrate — Rich loam or clay-based soil with aquatic fertilizer tablets
• Planting angle — Tropical tuber: straight up at 90°, crown level with the soil
• Overwintering — Not hardy. Lift before frost and store somewhere warm and frost-free through the cold months
• Propagation — Tuber division, easiest when lifting for winter storage

Grower's Notes

• The bicolor is the whole point, and it needs sun to show. The purple edging deepens with strong direct light; in a shaded pond the flowers open closer to plain white and lose the contrast that makes this cultivar worth choosing.
• Day-blooming, so plan around it. Flowers open through the morning and close in the evening — this is a lily for a pond you see in daylight, not one you light at night.
• Tropical means it will not survive a freeze. Lift the tuber before frost or treat it as an annual; leaving it in an icing pond is the usual way these are lost.
• Wants genuine warmth. Growth is slow until the water reaches the mid-70s, then it moves quickly.
• Broad pads shade the water, which limits algae and gives fish cover through summer.
• A heated tank suits the warmth, not the light. An aquarium of 20 gallons and up holds the 75–90°F this tropical wants year-round, and it grows well indoors on that alone. The purple edging and the blooms are another matter — they need very bright, sun-like light over a long daily photoperiod, and under standard aquarium lighting you should expect pads and no flowers. Those pads reach the surface quickly and need trimming often.

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. Water lilies ship bare-root and should be planted on arrival.
• Bloom and leaf color, size and shape vary with lighting, water quality and plant maturity.
• 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.