Many pond owners opt to locate their water garden in a shady location of the yard. This way, they can enjoy watching their fish while being protected from the heat of direct summer sun. While a shaded pond is ideal for cooling off in the summer, it can pose a problem for enjoying the beauty of waterlilies. Most waterlilies typically need a minimum of six hours of direct sunlight in order to produce beautiful blooms. Fortunately, there are a few hardy varieties that will bloom their hearts out with as little as four hours of sunlight per day. Following is our list of favorite shade tolerant water lilies categorized by color, along with their sunlight requirements.
Red Waterlilies
James Brydon – 3 hours sun
Little Champion – 3 hours sun
Red Attraction – 3 hours sun
Yellow Waterlilies
Comanche – 3 hours sun
Texas Dawn – 3 hours sun
Joey Tomocik – 3 hours sun
Pink Waterlilies
Somptuosa – 4 hours sun
Arc-en-ceil – 4 hours sun
Peach Waterlilies
Peaches n Cream – 4 hours sun
Sioux – 4 hours sun
Miniature Varieties
Berit Strawn – 3 to 4 hours sun
Graziella – 3 to 4 hours sun
Helvola – 3 to 4 hours sun
Hermaine – 3 to 4 hours sun
Toss aside the notion that you can’t enjoy waterlilies if you have a partially shaded pond. You can find shade tolerant waterlilies at your local water gardening store, or you can order them online from a reputable aquatic plant retailer.