# yellow water-lily (*Nuphar lutea*) The yellow water-lily is a beautiful flower that floats on water. Its big, round leaves and bright yellow flowers are often seen in ponds and lakes during the summer. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low - **Habitat:** Wetlands - **Also known as:** Yellow pond-lily ![yellow water-lily](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Nuphar_lutea_%28habitus%29.jpg&width=800) Photo: Hans Hillewaert, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nuphar_lutea_%28habitus%29.jpg) ## Appearance The yellow water-lily has heart-shaped, glossy green leaves that float flat on the water's surface, reaching up to 30 cm wide. Its distinctive, cup-shaped flowers are bright yellow, often with reddish touches inside, and emerge slightly above the water. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Magnoliopsida - **Order:** Nymphaeales - **Family:** Nymphaeaceae - **Genus:** Nuphar ## Interesting facts - Ancient cultures sometimes harvested and ground its seeds into flour or popped them like popcorn! - Its bright yellow flowers open in the morning sunshine and then close up tight at dusk each day! - Look closely inside the flower; it has many tiny, secret petals that look like stamens! - The underwater stems (rhizomes) of a single plant can grow to be several meters long! ## Special abilities - **Aquatic Anchor:** Yellow water-lily has thick, strong rhizomes that anchor it firmly to the muddy bottom, even in flowing water. - **Breathing Tubes:** It has special air channels in its stems and leaves that carry oxygen from the air down to its underwater roots. - **Self-Cleaning Leaves:** The waxy coating on its leaves makes water and dirt slide off, keeping them clean for maximum sunlight absorption. - **Floating Nursery:** After flowering, its fruit develops into a leathery pod that floats and eventually releases seeds into the water. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 100-300 cm - **Spread:** 50-150 cm - **Flower Size:** 3-6 cm - **Bloom Season:** Summer to early Autumn - **Edible:** No - **Toxicity:** Mild - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Eats:** [Muskrat](https://www.snappit.app/explore/muskrat) (*Ondatra zibethicus*) — Muskrats eat its nutritious underwater rhizomes. - **Eats:** Mallard (*Anas platyrhynchos*) — Mallards and other waterfowl consume its seeds and leaves. - **Pollinates:** Honey bee (*Apis mellifera*) — Bees visit the flowers to collect nectar and pollen. - **Shelter:** Common frog (*Rana temporaria*) — Frogs often hide and rest on its broad floating leaves. ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Summer Blooming](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/summer-blooming): Summer blooming plants produce their flowers during the summer season, often providing vibrant color when many other plants have finished. - [Broadleaf Tree](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/broadleaf-tree): Broadleaf trees are angiosperms characterized by flat, wide leaves that are typically shed annually in temperate climates. - [Fragrant Flower](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fragrant-flower): Fragrant flowers emit a pleasant aroma, often to attract pollinators or for defense. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs. - [Freshwater](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/freshwater): Freshwater habitats include non-saline aquatic environments such as rivers, lakes, ponds, and wetlands, vital for numerous species. - [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low Stay close to the edge of the water and never touch plants without asking an adult. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify yellow water-lily? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is yellow water-lily? 100-300 cm ### How wide does yellow water-lily spread? 50-150 cm ### How big are the flowers on yellow water-lily? 3-6 cm ### When does yellow water-lily bloom? Summer to early Autumn ### Is yellow water-lily edible? No ### Is yellow water-lily toxic? Mild ### What is yellow water-lily's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Biosphärenreservat Spreewald](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/spreewald-biosphere-reserve) — Brandenburg, DE · Park - [Parc naturel régional des Caps et Marais d’Opale](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/parc-naturel-regional-des-caps-et-marais-dopale) — Hauts-de-France, FR · Park - [Lake Grand-Lieu National Nature Reserve](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/lake-grand-lieu-national-nature-reserve) — Pays de la Loire, FR · Park - [Pyrénées Ariégeoises Regional Nature Park](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/pyrenees-ariegeoises-regional-nature-park) — Occitanie, FR · Park [View all places to see yellow water-lily](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/yellow-water-lily) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Yellow Water-lily: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/yellow-water-lily)