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Nymphaea 'Charles de Meurville'
Nymphaea 'Charles de Meurville'
Nymphaea 'Charles de Meurville'
Nymphaea 'Charles de Meurville'
Nymphaea 'Charles de Meurville'
Nymphaea 'Charles de Meurville'
Nymphaea 'Charles de Meurville'
Nymphaea 'Charles de Meurville'
Nymphaea 'Charles de Meurville'
Nymphaea 'Charles de Meurville'

Nymphaea 'Charles de Meurville'

Water Lily
Availability:
Out of stock
Availability:
in stock, ready to be shipped
Availability:
in stock, ready to be shipped
Availability:
Out of stock
£0.00 - £0.00
£0.00
£11.70
£9.10 - £33.35
£11.70
Type: Kit
Size Information

You can choose plants in various pot sizes. Non-potted plants arrive bare root for you to pot in the specified pot size.

Seasonal Information

Depending on the time of year, pond plants may be supplied fully-leaved, with flowers, or with foliage trimmed back.

Delivery Information

This plant is grown in the UK and sent directly from our tried, tested and trusted plant partner. Delivery price calculated at checkout.

Description of Nymphaea 'Charles de Meurville'

Nymphaea 'Charles de Meurville' is a vigorous hardy water lily for medium to large ponds. It grows from a thick rhizome and builds a broad raft of floating leaves, then produces large flowers through summer. Gardeners usually shorten the name to Charles de Meurville water lily, and that cultivar name is the one worth using when you search or label the plant.

Appearance

This cultivar makes plenty of rounded pads, with mature leaves often reaching about 25 cm across. Young foliage can show a bronzed tint before it settles to green. Flowers are larger than average and can reach about 20 cm across. The colouring is distinctive: outer petals look paler, while the inner petals deepen to darker pink-red tones. A bright centre of stamens adds contrast, and the blooms sit on or just above the surface in calm water.

Care Guide

Give it full sun and still water. Pot it into a generous basket with heavy loam based compost and cap with washed gravel. Start it slightly shallower so new leaves can reach the surface without stretching, then lower the pot in stages. In many ponds a useful long-term depth is around 45–75 cm over the crown, and you can go deeper in larger water if the plant still reaches the surface cleanly. Feed with aquatic fertiliser tablets through the growing season and keep up with dead leaves so they do not rot in the pond. It is hardy, so leave it below the ice line in winter.

Suitability for Garden Ponds

Charles de Meurville suits ponds where you want a bold flower and plenty of surface cover. It spreads to a wide patch, often around 1.5 m across, so it needs room and looks best when you do not crowd it with other lilies. The pads shade fish and help limit light for algae in summer, while the big blooms still show clearly above the foliage. In smaller ponds, keep it in a basket and be ready to divide when the rhizome fills the pot. A wide basket helps Charles de Meurville spread evenly and usually improves flowering. Keep a small patch of open water near Charles de Meurville so you can enjoy the flowers from the edge. If Charles de Meurville makes lots of leaves but few flowers, feeding often helps more than changing depth. Clear floating debris so buds on Charles de Meurville can rise and open cleanly at the surface.

FAQs

What size water lily do I need for my pond?

Choose a water lily according to the eventual spread of its leaves and the depth of your pond. Compact and miniature varieties are suitable for small ponds and containers, while vigorous varieties need substantially more surface area and deeper water.

How deep should a water lily be planted?

Planting depth varies by variety. Newly planted water lilies can initially be positioned in shallower water, sometimes by raising the basket on bricks, and then lowered gradually as the leaves grow towards the surface. Check the recommended final depth for the specific variety.

Do water lilies need full sun to flower?

Most water lilies flower best with plenty of direct sunlight. A pond in heavy shade may produce fewer flowers, although requirements vary between varieties. When choosing a water lily, consider both the available sunlight and the mature size of the plant.

Can I grow a water lily in a small pond?

es. There are compact and miniature water lilies bred for small ponds, tubs and other container water features. Avoid choosing a vigorous full-sized variety for a small pond, as it can quickly cover too much of the surface.

Why is my water lily growing leaves but not flowering?

Poor flowering can result from insufficient sunlight, overcrowding, an unsuitable planting depth or lack of nutrients. Established water lilies may need dividing and repotting when congested, and plants that flower poorly may benefit from an appropriate aquatic fertiliser where feeding is required.

What are the best pond plants for a wildlife pond?

The best wildlife pond plants provide a mixture of underwater cover, surface shade, flowering habitat and places for aquatic insects to emerge. A balanced pond can include oxygenating plants, marginal plants and floating-leaved plants such as water lilies. Native species are particularly useful for supporting UK pond wildlife.

Rated Excellent