yellow waterlily
Nymphaea mexicana · Nymphaeaceae
yellow waterlily (Nymphaea mexicana) is a perennial herbaceous plant in the Nymphaeaceae family. It is native to North America. USDA records it as hardy in zone 6 and warmer, down to about -2°F.
At a glance
| Type | forb-herb USDA |
|---|---|
| Lifecycle | perennial USDA |
| Native status | native USDA |
| Light | full-sun USDA |
| Water need | high USDA |
| Growth rate | moderate USDA |
| Soil pH | 5–9 USDA |
| Bloom | March–May USDA |
| Flower color | Yellow USDA |
| Hardiness zones | 6 and warmer USDA |
| Guild layer | herb-layer Derived |
| Nursery availability | Routinely Available USDA |
USDA quoted from the USDA PLANTS database · Derived computed by a fixed rule from those columns. No value on this page is estimated.
Growing conditions
It needs full sun. USDA rates it as having needs consistently moist ground. Its drought tolerance is rated none — it needs reliable moisture. It tolerates saturated, poorly drained ground well (USDA rates its anaerobic tolerance high). It is recorded on soils from pH 5 to 9 — a broad range that spans acidic through mildly alkaline ground. Its cold limit is zone 6.
Size and growth
It grows at a moderate rate.
Bloom period
USDA records a bloom period of March through May. Flowers are yellow.
A flowering date, not a pollinator rating.
Foliage, flower and season
Summer foliage is green, coarse in texture. Its flowers are conspicuous. Its active growth period is spring. USDA rates its lifespan as moderate.
What the site needs to provide
It needs at least 205 frost-free days to finish its season. It roots to at least 12 inches. Fertility requirement: medium.
Propagating it
Bare root is the only propagation method USDA lists. Its seed spreads at a slow rate. It spreads vegetatively at a slow rate.
Resilience and wildlife
Browsing animals find it highly palatable, so expect deer and rabbits to take an interest. Its fire tolerance is rated none. Its growth form is recorded as rhizomatous.
Role in a guild
Herb layer. In a layered planting this is the herbaceous middle — perennials and grasses that fill the space between ground cover and shrubs. The layer is derived by a fixed rule from growth habit and mature height.
Tags
Related plants
Similar role and hardiness
- yellow bluestem Bothriochloa ischaemum
- fringed brome Bromus ciliatus
- slough sedge Carex obnupta
- Engelmann's daisy Engelmannia peristenia
- Northern spiderlily Hymenocallis occidentalis
Where this data comes from
Every value on this page comes from the USDA PLANTS database record for symbol NYME, or is computed from those values by a fixed rule. Nothing here is estimated or model-generated. Where USDA publishes no value, this page omits the claim rather than filling the gap.
- Quoted from USDA PLANTS: active growth period, Bloom, Bloom end, browse palatability, cold stratification, Drought tolerance, fall conspicuous, fertility requirement, fire tolerance, Flower color, flower conspicuous, foliage color, foliage texture, frost free days min, fruit conspicuous, growth form, Growth rate, Hardiness zones, Lifecycle, lifespan, Light, Minimum temperature, Native status, Nitrogen fixation, Nursery availability, propagation, resprout ability, root depth in, seed spread rate, Soil pH, Soil pH (upper), Tolerance of wet soil, Toxicity, Type, vegetative spread rate, Water need.
- Derived by a fixed rule from those columns: Guild layer.
Read our full data sources and methodology.
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