Pygmy water lily
Nymphaea leibergii · Aquatic plants
A stand of it · Photo: Kallum McDonald / CC0
Also called Leiberg's water lily, Nymphaea tetragona ssp. leibergii, Nymphaea tetragona, Dwarf water lily
How to identify Pygmy water lily
- Small oval floating leaves 2 to 4 inches long with a deep slit
- Small white flowers about 2 inches wide with 4 green sepals forming a square base
- Flowers open in the afternoon
- Slender erect rhizome
Similar plants
Fragrant water lily is much larger with bigger fragrant flowers that open in the morning, and young yellow pond lily leaves have rounded lobes and yellow flowers.
Growth profile
| Growing season | Leaves reach the surface in early summer, flowers in July and August, and the plant dies back to its rhizome in fall. |
|---|---|
| Starts growing | About 50 F water; short cool growing season |
| Light | Needs clear water and full sun |
| Depth | 1 to 6 feet |
| How it spreads | Seeds and slow rhizome growth |
| Habitat | Cold, clear, quiet ponds and small lakes in northern forested areas, over soft organic bottoms. |
Why it matters in a lake
A rare native plant in Idaho with very few known sites; reports are worth documenting with a photo. It is easily confused with escaped ornamental lilies.
Where it is found
- Idaho: Rare
- Oregon: Not recorded
- Wyoming: Not recorded
Classification
| Kingdom | Plantae |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Tracheophyta |
| Class | Magnoliopsida |
| Order | Nymphaeales |
| Family | Nymphaeaceae |
| Scientific name | Nymphaea leibergii |
American pondweed
Floating leaf pondweed
Yellow pond lily
Fragrant water lily
Water smartweed
Floating marshpennywort
Uruguay water primrose
Watershield
Water purslane
Floating primrose willowNeed a hand?
Is it taking over your lake?
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