How to Grow Water Lilies in Glasses

Learn How to Grow Water Lilies in Glasses and set an ultra mini pond for your home that can fit on tabletops, bookshelves, and desks!

If you love aquatic plants, you can grow water lilies in your home in oversized glasses and jars with the help of this article!

Learn how to grow succulents in wine glasses here

What are Water Lilies

Native to Africa, Australia, and the Northern hemisphere–water lilies belong to the genus Nymphaea. They are admired for delicate flowers that feature large floating leaves. As waterlilies are symbols of peace and growth, growing them indoors will help you bring positive vibes too.

Varieties of Water Lilies

There are around 50 recognized water lilies species, categorized in several ways, and commonly divided into two groups – tropical and hardy water lilies.

1. Tropical Water Lilies

Tropical water lilies are warm-water plants and can not withstand water temperatures below 50 F (10 C) for a long time. These lilies have colorful and large blooms and generally open for three to four days at a time. There are both day and night flowering varieties available.

2. Hardy Water Lilies

Hardy water lilies have small leaves with flowers that float on the top of the water and grow in temperate regions. They do not have the same exquisite flowers as tropical water lilies.

Check out our article on miniature water lily varieties here

Best Water Lilies to Grow in Glass Jars

Always pick dwarf-sized specimens. The best water lilies to grow in glasses are:

• Nymphea “Snow Princess”–Has pure white elegant flowers. Perfect for medium glasses and grows 4-6 inches tall.
• Nymphaea “Laydekeri Lilacea”–Offers flowers in a pink hue with white outer petals. Looks best in small to medium jars. Attains a height of 4-6 inches.
• Nymphaea “Helvola”–One of the most popular, it has yellow blooms. Best for tall glasses and medium jars. Grows 4-6 inches in height.
• Nymphaea “Perry’s Baby Red”–Has gorgeous looking red double flowers. Best for small glasses and grows 1-3 inches tall.

If you live in a colder climate, go for hardy water lilies like ‘Purple fantasy,’ ‘Almost black,’ ‘Gloriosa,’ or ‘Perry’s baby red.’

How to Grow Water Lilies in Glasses

It would be marvelous to have beautiful water lilies in glass jars in your home with a single or cluster of flowers uprise above the water.

Things You’ll Need:

• Glass or Jar (Use wide jars)
• Sponge or Holder
• Clean Sharp Scissors
• Water Lily Cuttings or a Plant
• Small River Stones

Directions:

1. Set a holder or sponge in the glass and fill it with water. Make sure that you are not brimming it up.

2. Cut its tail with clean scissors and attach it to the sponge or holder. Put small river stones to hide the holder. The colorful stones and pebbles will also enhance the look of the plant!

3. If you are using tap water, allow it to sit overnight to eliminate chlorine. You can also use water from the aquarium if you have one.

4. Place the waterlily where it can receive plenty of sunlight. An south-facing window will be the best choice.

5. To encourage good growth, you can use aquatic plant fertilizer for healthy blooms once every 4-6 weeks. Check the label for dosage. You can also use 10–14–8, water-soluble tablets. Use one tablet, once every 3 weeks in the growing season.

6. Once the plant establishes itself, you can reduce the rate to one tablet per 4-6 weeks.

When to Change the Water

Change the water in a glass or jar once every 3-5 days to eliminate the chances of odor. If you notice any signs of discoloration, change the water.

Note: As water lilies grow in stagnant water in the wild, they don’t get damaged by it.