Description of Nymphaea 'Conqueror'

Nymphaea 'Conqueror' is a hardy water lily with a distinctive two-tone flower that changes as it opens. It grows from a rhizome, forms rounded pads, and flowers in summer in still water. The cultivar name Conqueror is the main name used in UK pond plant lists, and it is worth keeping because the flower pattern is quite specific.

Appearance

Conqueror produces rounded leaves up to about 20 cm across, with young pads often slightly bronzed. The flowers open cup-shaped and can widen towards a starry outline. They have a deep red centre that darkens with age, a ring of yellow stamens, and paler outer petals that can start white and then mature to pink tones. This shifting look means a plant can show several shades at once when more than one flower is open.

Care Guide

Plant it in a wide aquatic basket with loam based compost and a gravel cap. Place it in full sun in calm water. Start the basket shallower in late spring, then lower in stages until it sits at a comfortable medium depth. Use aquatic fertiliser tablets through summer to support repeat flowering, and remove old leaves and spent blooms to reduce debris. As a hardy lily, it can stay in the pond over winter as long as the rhizome stays below the ice line.

Suitability for Garden Ponds

Conqueror suits ponds where you like flowers that change through their lifespan rather than staying one flat colour. It also works well in mixed planting because the pads form a tidy patch and the flowers read clearly against green leaves. In small ponds, one lily is usually enough, and Conqueror gives you interest through colour change even when the overall plant footprint stays moderate. Clear floating debris so buds on Conqueror can rise and open cleanly at the surface. If you lift Conqueror for repotting, do it in late spring when new shoots are obvious. If Conqueror makes lots of leaves but few flowers, feeding often helps more than changing depth. If Conqueror makes lots of leaves but few flowers, feeding often helps more than changing depth. If Conqueror makes lots of leaves but few flowers, feeding often helps more than changing depth. A wide basket helps Conqueror spread evenly and usually improves flowering. In ponds with fish, a gravel cap helps stop compost being disturbed around Conqueror. If Conqueror makes lots of leaves but few flowers, feeding often helps more than changing depth. In ponds with fish, a gravel cap helps stop compost being disturbed around Conqueror.

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