Description of Nymphaea 'Red Spider'

Nymphaea 'Red Spider' is a hardy water lily for still ponds and containers, grown under the name Red Spider. People grow it because it is grown for narrow, crinkled petals that give a spidery look. It can be a good choice when you want something different from standard star blooms. Most gardeners simply call it a water lily.

Appearance

Once it settles, Red Spider builds a steady cover of floating leaves. Green pads that keep the plant compact in smaller ponds. You get unusual red, star-like flowers with long, twisted or crinkled petals. In still water the buds reach the surface cleanly and open well.

Care Guide

Put Red Spider 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 40–90 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

Allow around about 60–90 cm of surface room for Red Spider so it does not crowd other plants. A good leaf raft gives fish cover and reduces light reaching the water, which can help with algae. In a compact pond, keep it as the main surface plant and use marginals for height at the edges.

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