Description of Nymphaea 'Alba'

Nymphaea alba is a hardy species water lily for still ponds and containers, grown under the name Alba. People grow it because it is the UK’s native white water lily for wildlife-style ponds and natural looking lakes. It can be vigorous once it settles, so it suits bigger water rather than tiny tubs. Most gardeners simply call it a white water lily, native white water lily.

Appearance

Once it settles, Alba builds a steady cover of floating leaves. Large rounded green leaves that make strong surface cover. You get white, cup-shaped flowers in summer, usually with a yellow centre and a gentle scent. In still water the buds reach the surface cleanly and open well.

Care Guide

Put Alba where the water stays still and the sun reaches the surface for most of the day. Plant into a wide aquatic basket with heavy loam based compost and cap with washed gravel so the water stays clear. Lower the basket in stages and settle it at about 50–150 cm over the crown. Use aquatic fertiliser tablets from late spring into late summer, placed into the pot rather than the water. Snip off tired leaves at the base and lift out old flowers to keep the plant moving. As a hardy lily, it can stay in the pond over winter as long as the crown sits below the ice line.

Suitability for Garden Ponds

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