Description of Nymphaea 'Virganilis'

Nymphaea 'Virginalis' is a hardy white water lily that many gardeners rate as one of the best all-round whites. Your list spells it Virganilis, but it is almost certainly the well known cultivar Virginalis. It forms a compact, free-flowering plant with floating pads and white, fragrant flowers through summer, and it is usually sold as Virginalis white water lily.

Appearance

Virginalis produces rounded pads that can show a purple-bronze tint when young before they turn dark green. Flowers are pure white, cup-shaped, and lightly scented, with a clear yellow centre. The blooms look crisp and well formed rather than loose, and the plant tends to flower freely once it has settled. In bright weather, the white flowers stand out strongly against darker pads.

Care Guide

Plant it in a wide basket with loam based compost and top with washed gravel. Give it full sun and calm water. Lower the pot in stages and aim for a medium to deeper position once established. A sensible working range for many garden ponds is around 45–100 cm of water over the crown, adjusted so pads reach the surface without strain. Feed with aquatic fertiliser tablets through summer. Remove old leaves and spent blooms to reduce debris. It is hardy, so leave it in deeper water over winter below ice.

Suitability for Garden Ponds

Virginalis suits medium to large ponds, but it can work in smaller ponds if you keep it in a basket and control the spread. The leaf raft provides shade and cover for fish and amphibians, and the bright white flowers give a clean focal point. Give it open water around the plant so the white blooms do not get hidden by other surface growth. Keep a small patch of open water near Virganilis so you can enjoy the flowers from the edge. If you lift Virganilis for repotting, do it in late spring when new shoots are obvious. If Virganilis makes lots of leaves but few flowers, feeding often helps more than changing depth. A wide basket helps Virganilis spread evenly and usually improves flowering. Keep a small patch of open water near Virganilis so you can enjoy the flowers from the edge. A wide basket helps Virganilis spread evenly and usually improves flowering. Clear floating debris so buds on Virganilis can rise and open cleanly at the surface. If Virganilis makes lots of leaves but few flowers, feeding often helps more than changing depth.

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