Nymphaea 'King of Siam' carries double deep purple-blue petals stacked into a full, layered bloom — a 1998 Thai hybrid of 'Larp Prasert' × 'Colorata' by Chaiyaphon Thamasuwan. It is a tropical lily, so it wants heat and sun and comes indoors for winter in a cold climate.
What You'll Receive
- Shipped bare-root as a tuber, ready to plant on arrival
Plant Profile
- Common name — King of Siam Blue Tropical Water Lily
- Scientific name — Nymphaea 'King of Siam'
- Also known as — Nymphaea 'King of the Blues', Nymphaea 'Chalong Kwan'
- Type — Tropical, day-blooming; hybrid of 'Larp Prasert' × 'Colorata' (Chaiyaphon Thamasuwan, 1998)
- Flower — Double deep purple-blue petals
- Placement — Centrepiece in a pond or water garden
- Mature height — 12-24 inches
- Growth rate — Fast
Care
- Difficulty — Beginner
- Sunlight — Full sun, at least 6 hours daily
- Planting depth — 6-18 inches of water over the tuber
- Water — 72-82°F, pH 6.0-7.5; still to slightly moving
- Soil — Heavy clay or loam, capped with gravel; this is a root feeder
- Feeding — Water lily fertiliser tablets through the growing season
- Propagation — Rhizome division
Grower's Notes
- Tropical, not hardy — this decides your winter. The tuber must be lifted and stored in moist conditions over winter unless you are in a warm climate. If you cannot do that, buy a hardy lily instead; they stay in the pond and return on their own.
- True blue-purple is rare in lilies. Most pond lilies run pink, red, white or yellow. The blue-purple line traces back to N. colorata, which is this plant's parent — that is where the colour comes from.
- Warm water matters as much as sun. A shaded or spring-fed pond that stays cool will give you pads and very few flowers no matter how much fertiliser goes in.
- Plant the tuber upright with the crown exposed. Set it in the centre of the pot with the growing point above the soil line, then cap with gravel. Buried crowns rot.
- Plant at final depth — submerged pads are normal. The young pads may sit completely underwater at first, and they do not need to reach the surface on day one. Given enough sunlight the leaf stems extend on their own and the pads surface within about a week.
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
- All water lilies are shipped bare-root (as tubers) and should be planted immediately upon arrival for best results. Bloom and leaf color, size, and shape may vary slightly depending on lighting, water quality, and plant maturity.
Shipping Policy
At Aquarium Plants Factory, we carefully package and ship all orders to ensure plants and livestock arrive healthy and ready to thrive.
Order Processing Time
Most orders are processed within 1–2 business days after payment is received.
Orders placed on weekends or holidays will be processed on the next business day.
Orders containing out-of-stock, pre-order, or backorder items may require additional handling time.
Once your order ships, tracking information will be sent to your email.
Shipping Schedule
Live Plants
Live plant orders ship Monday through Saturday when using United States Postal Service (USPS).
Most plant-only orders ship within 1–3 business days, excluding products that are out of stock, pre-order, or backorder.
Estimated USPS delivery time is 2–5 business days, depending on your location.
UPS Express Shipping
We offer the following UPS expedited shipping options:
UPS 2-Day Air®
Estimated delivery: 2 business days
Please note that UPS 2-Day Air® is not a guaranteed service in the event of carrier delays, weather disruptions, or operational issues.
UPS Next Day Air®
Estimated delivery: 1 business day
This service is guaranteed by UPS according to their service guarantee policies.
UPS expedited orders ship Monday through Wednesday only to ensure packages arrive within the same week and avoid weekend delays.
Please note that orders require 1–2 business days of handling time before shipment.
To help ensure same-week delivery, please place UPS orders on or before Tuesday at 6:00 AM Pacific Time (PT).
Live Animals Shipping
Live animal orders ship Monday through Wednesday only.
This schedule ensures animals arrive within the same week and do not remain in transit over the weekend.
Handling time for live animal orders typically ranges from 1–5 business days, depending on:
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Weather conditions
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Livestock health
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Shipping destination
Tracking information will be emailed once the order has been shipped.
Free Shipping
We offer Free Shipping on eligible orders over $150 within the contiguous United States.
Estimated delivery time for free shipping orders is 2–5 business days.
If your order contains both live plants and live animals, the shipment may be combined and the appropriate shipping rate will be shown at checkout.
Free Shipping is not available for customers located in:
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Alaska
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Hawaii
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Puerto Rico
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Guam
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U.S. Virgin Islands
Customers in these locations must select Expedited or Express shipping options at checkout.
Delivery Time Estimates
Delivery times shown at checkout are estimates provided by the shipping carrier.
While we work hard to ship orders quickly, delivery times may vary due to factors outside of our control, including:
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Weather conditions
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Carrier delays
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High shipping volumes
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Transportation disruptions
Aquarium Plants Factory is not responsible for shipping delays caused by the carrier.
Delayed or Lost Packages
Occasionally, shipments may take longer than expected.
A package is considered lost only after 15 business days (approximately 3 weeks) from the ship date.
If a package is confirmed lost by the carrier, we may offer a 50/50 replacement, meaning:
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Aquarium Plants Factory covers 50% of the replacement cost
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The customer covers 50% plus shipping
Address Accuracy
Customers are responsible for providing a complete and accurate shipping address when placing an order.
Please ensure that your address is correct when using payment methods such as:
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Credit / Debit Card
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PayPal
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Apple Pay
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Google Pay
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Amazon Pay
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Shopify Pay
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AliPay
Orders returned due to:
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Incorrect address
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Refused delivery
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Failed delivery attempts
may not be eligible for a refund.
Order Cancellations
If you need to cancel an order, please contact us as soon as possible.
Orders can only be canceled before they have been shipped.
Once an order has been shipped, it can no longer be canceled.
Returns
Due to the sensitive nature of live goods, all sales are final.
We do not accept returns or exchanges for:
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Live plants
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Live animals
For any shipping questions, please contact us before placing your order.
Aquarium Plants Factory
https://www.AquariumPlantsFactory.com
What We Guarantee
24-Hour Live Arrival Guarantee — We guarantee that live plants and live aquatic animals will arrive alive. In the rare case of a Dead on Arrival (DOA), you must notify us within 24 hours of the delivery time recorded on the carrier's official tracking page. The guarantee is void after that 24-hour window, as condition can no longer be attributed to transit.
How to Submit a Claim
- Take at least 2 clear, well-lit photos of the affected items in their original, unopened, sealed packaging, plus a photo of the shipping label on the box.
- Email your photos and order number to hello@aquariumplantsfactory.com within 24 hours of delivery.
- Do not photograph plants or animals after they have been unpacked, planted, or introduced to your aquarium — once an item enters your aquarium's ecosystem, it is no longer covered.
Approved claims are resolved with a replacement, store credit, or refund at our discretion, under the terms of our Refund Policy. Each item is eligible for one replacement only — replacements are final and we cannot replace a replacement.
Conditions That Void the Guarantee
- Incorrect or incomplete shipping address (vacant address, missing apartment number, or any issue that prevents delivery)
- Packages marked "invalid address," "undeliverable," refused, or returned to sender
- Packages left unclaimed, held at a carrier facility at the customer's request, or not retrieved promptly after delivery — live goods must be brought indoors and unpacked the day they arrive
- Carrier delays, weather events, or delivery exceptions once the package has left our facility
- Shipments to freight forwarders or package-forwarding services
Providing accurate, complete shipping information and monitoring your tracking are essential to keeping your guarantee valid.
Please note: the Live Arrival Guarantee covers arrival only. We cannot guarantee ongoing success — aquarium environment, water quality, nutrients, temperature, lighting, filtration, and CO2 all affect long-term results.
What We Can't Guarantee
- Pest-free plants (potted & bare-root): Although our plants are grown in our own clean greenhouse, we cannot guarantee they are 100% free of snails, algae, or other hitchhikers. We recommend rinsing and quarantining all plants before adding them to your aquarium. Tissue culture (in vitro) plants are the exception — they are grown in sterile lab conditions, are 100% free of pests, algae, and disease, and have never been in contact with any aquarium.
- Pesticide-free plants: We use homemade, organic pest control in our greenhouse and never use copper-based pesticides, which are toxic to invertebrates such as snails, crabs, and shrimp. However, we cannot guarantee plants are entirely pesticide-free — always rinse and quarantine before use in invertebrate tanks.
- Your aquarium's success: We are not responsible for your aquarium inhabitants, including fish, shrimp, snails, and turtles. Please quarantine all plants before use.
- Growth form: Unless specified, we do not guarantee plants will grow emersed or submersed in your particular setup.
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.
This blue tropical water lily arrives healthy with strong leaves and adapts well to ponds. Customers said it produces "new growth" quickly after planting, with leaves surfacing within days. Blooms may take time, with one shopper reporting first bloom after two years in colder climates. Praised for excellent packaging and fast delivery.
- Arrived looking really healthy with a few leaves. Sprouted many new leaves since adding to pond.
- All 3 arrived in great shape. Leaves up on surface in 3 days!!!!!
- Package arrived with well pads. Plants look just like the picture.
M
My tropical lily arrived looking really healthy with a few leaves. It has sprouted many new leaves since adding it to my pond about a week ago. Great experience with APF!
S
I would like to share the first bloom's image. It took me almost two years. We live in northern California which can get cold in winter months.
V
All 3 arrived in great shape with stems and leaves. Planted immediately and leaves up on surface in 3 days!!!!! Will fertilze and wait on blooms, should be sometime next week if I'm lucky!
D
So far they are doing wonderful. New growth. Can’t wait until they are mature enough to bloom.
H
I received this product from mail in good shape. It only takes 4 days to deliver to my home. I will follow up and let you know the status of growing.
S
Nymphaea King of Siam | Blue Tropical Water Lily
S
I am satisfied as first time customer here. Thank you for an email updates on shipment. The package was arrived with well pads. Small water lily plants/bulbs look just like the picture. I planted it according to the clip. Now I'm patiently waiting for my first bloom.
C
Are the King of Siam tropical or hardy? I live in Kentucky and I leave my other lilies in the pond during winter
King of Siam is a tropical water lily, not a hardy variety, so it can't overwinter outdoors in a pond the way your hardy lilies do. In Kentucky's climate, you'd need to either treat it as an annual (let it die back and replace it next season), or bring the tuber indoors for winter storage/dormancy in a bucket of moist sand or damp paper towels in a cool, frost-free spot, then replant it in spring once temps warm back up.
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