Beautiful large symmetrical flower with prominent yellow stamens and many white or occasionally pink petals
Flowers are very fragrant and appear from June to September, opening each morning & closing again each night
Flowers are surrounded by large (25 cm across) round, smooth waxy leaves that are often purple on the lower surface
Leaves are attached to flexible stalks attached to thick fleshy rhizomes
Fruit is a capsule 1-2 cm in diameter and contains many seeds
Reproduces by both seed and rhizomes
Fragrant Water Lily rhizome
Consequences of invasion
Shallow lakes are vulnerable to being completely covered by fragrant water lily. A planted rhizome will cover a 5 m diameter in 5 years. The fast growing aquatic plant can easily create dense infestations choking out native plants.
Decreases the value of water front property because it can restrict lake front access if left unmanaged.
Reduces water based recreation opportunities.
Creates hazardous swimming, it has been attributed to some drowning incidents.
Introduction and spread
Extremely popular water garden plant due to its beauty and it’s not difficult to grow.
The plant can still easily be purchased at nurseries and mail order catalogs.
People un-knowingly transplant a water lily to a friend’s property, favorite swimming hole or their own backyard.
Pet and aquarium owners dumping/releasing their aquarium plants and animals into the wild.
Improper disposal of garden waste.
Don’t let it Loose!
Integrated pest management options
Prevention
Choose non-invasive or native plants for your water garden.
Properly dispose of invasive garden waste. RDCK landfills accept invasive plants in clear plastic bags free of charge.
Do not transplant fragrant water lily from one location to another.
Small infestations may be controlled by covering with a thick dark fabric that blocks out the light.
Carbohydrate depletion, as the leaves begin to emerge during growing season faithfully removing all of them. Requires time and patience as it can take 2-3 years to kill the plants.
Mechanical
Cutting and harvesting the plant does have some level of success if done several times a year. Removing and proper disposal of the rhizome is the key to success.
Excavation can be successful in control of invasive water lilies. Please note that you must complete an “Application for Work in and About a Stream” prior to beginning any excavation work.
Biocontrol
There are no effective biological control agents available for invasive water lilies.
Chemical
Herbicides cannot be used near or in waterbodies.
The CKISS team using mechanical methods to remove Fragrant Water lily.