Modern hybrid water lilies belong predominantly to the genus Nymphaea. The history of their cultivation is largely the story of crossing hardy (subgenus Nymphaea) and tropical (subgenus Brachyceras) species to achieve specific ornamental traits. The pioneering work of French botanist Joseph Bory Latour-Marliac in the late 19th century was foundational. He successfully crossed the white-flowered European native Nymphaea alba with more colorful and vibrant species like the red Nymphaea rubra from Bengal and the fragrant Nymphaea odorata from North America. From a botanical perspective, this hybridization process involves carefully transferring pollen from the anthers of one chosen parent plant to the receptive stigma of another. The resulting seeds are then sown, and the seedlings are evaluated over several years for desired characteristics such as flower color, form, leaf pattern, bloom habit (day-blooming vs. night-blooming), and vigor.
Through selective breeding, hybrid water lilies exhibit a vast array of improvements over their wild ancestors. Botanically, their flowers can be star-shaped, cup-shaped, or fully double with an increased number of petals. The color palette has been expanded to include not just white but vibrant yellows, pinks, reds, and even color-changing blooms. The leaves, or lily pads, are also a focus; they can be solid green, variegated with maroon or flecks of other colors, and range from compact to very large. Furthermore, hybrids have been selected for their adaptability to different water depths and their ability to bloom prolifically throughout the warm season. Many modern hybrids are also viviparous, meaning they produce plantlets directly from the leaf notch, a trait borrowed from certain tropical species that allows for easy vegetative propagation.
Several Marliac-era hybrids remain immensely popular in the United States due to their reliability and beauty. 'Chromatella' (Nymphaea 'Chromatella') is a classic hardy variety known for its large, soft yellow flowers and its exceptional tolerance for partial shade, a trait not common in all water lilies. 'Attraction' (Nymphaea 'Attraction') is celebrated for its stunning, deep red flowers that stand out dramatically against the water's surface. Among tropical varieties, 'Blue Beauty' (Nymphaea 'Blue Beauty') is a day-blooming specimen prized for its true blue-violet flowers and intense fragrance. A more recent introduction, 'Colorado' (Nymphaea 'Colorado'), exemplifies modern breeding with its apricot-pink flowers that change hue as they mature and its exceptional adaptability to various water garden conditions. Each variety represents a successful combination of specific genes for color, form, and growth habit selected for over generations.
