Water Lilies

Every time I drive east on Route 2 over the Huron River, I marvel at the water lilies (probably water lotus) growing in the water. The large green leaves cover the water and the yellow flowers pop out above the leaves. I wondered if these plants are good for our environment. My first stop in finding information about water lilies was Old Woman's Creek. In their display, they feature two water plants: White Water Lily and American Water Lotus. They both have very large leaves about 8 to 12 inches in diameter. The water lily has a notch in the leaf and a rippled edge. The flower sits just above the water. The American Water Lotus is described as a "dinner plate." The flower rises on a stem a foot or so above the water. According to Texas m& M AgriLife Extension, "Identification and Management of Water Lily-Like Species" the white water lily, Nymphaea odorata, and the American lotus, Nelumbo lutea, are both "emergent aquatic plants, rather than floating aquatic plants." Both plants were once thought to belong to the water lily family, Nymphaea. But DNA testing placed the American water lotus in a family of its own. An emergent plant has stems connected to roots that are anchored in the bottom of the pond. The roots come from 1 to 2 inch thick rhizomes that can overwinter underwater. Root runners can go out 20 feet from the rhizomes and can grow in water up 6 or 7 feet deep. In our area, the shallow waters of the Huron River, the estuary at Old Woman's Creek, and Sheldon's Marsh are prime spots for the roots to take hold. Plants need water to survive, and the water lilies have plenty of that. But they also need sun – the adaptations of the leaf are how the plant survives. he leaves float: they are thick and waxy and lie gently on the top of the water. The flowers then come up – with water lilies lying close to the surface of the water while the water lotus spring up several inches. The flower of the white water lily can be up to eight inches wide. There are 25 or more oblong petals. The center of the flower may have some color. The flower can grow up to 8 inches wide. The flower of the American lotus is a pale yellow with many oblong petals. The flowers can grow to 10 inches wide. The seed pods of the water lily and the lotus lily are both fairly large. The water lily pods are described as fleshy globes up to almost 2 inches with small seeds inside. The lotus lily pods are shaped like shower heads with seeds of up to 1 ½ inches in diameter. These can make interesting shapes in dried flower arrangements. The naturalist at Old Woman's Creek said both of these plants are native to North America and are good for the environment. Joe Boggs, OSU Extension, in an article called "Lovely American Lotus" mentions the value of the leaves in protecting small fish, seed as food for ducks and bird, and rhizomes as food for muskrats and beavers. The naturalist from Old Woman's Creek also mentioned an invasive species of water lily, European Frog-bit, Hydrocharis morsus-ranae, which should be pulled and allowed to die. The leaves of this invasive species are smaller, like fifty cent piece to 2.6 inches and the flowers grow to ½ inch. Joe Boggs of OSU mentioned an invasive species of pink flowered water lotus, called sacred lotus, Nelumbo nucifera. It too should be eradicated if seen. We are fortunate to have a resource like Old Woman's Creek National Estuarine Research Center in our area. In August, they sponsored two days of Frogbit pull for people who could go out in the water in canoes and kayaks. Perhaps next year you could help with this.