Tuberous Water Lily, American white waterlily
Nymphaea tuberosa
Family: Nymphaeaceae
What it is like
Nymphaea tuberosa is a PERENNIAL. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 3. It is in flower from July to September, and the seeds ripen from August to October. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Flies, beetles. The plant is self-fertile. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It can grow in water.
Height (m): 0
Where it is found
Mainly alkaline ponds, lakes and sluggish streams and rivers, usually in very oozy sediments at elevations of 100 - 400 metres.
Eastern N. America - Ontario and Quebec south to Kansas and Oklahoma.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
How it is used
Food
Rating: 3
Seed - cooked. The seed can be ground into a powder and used as a flour or fried and used like popcorn. The root is rich in starch, oil and protein. The bitter tasting tuber is occasionally eaten. The bitterness can be reduced somewhat by leaching the root in water.
Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.
Medicine
Rating: 3
The following notes are the medicinal uses of N. odorata. It is said that this species can be used interchangeably. The root is alterative, anodyne, antiseptic, astringent and demulcent. A tea made from the roots is used in the treatment of TB, chronic bronchial complaints, diarrhoea, dysentery, gastrointestinal inflammation, gonorrhoea, vaginal discharge, inflamed glands, mouth sores and to stop bleeding. A poultice made from the roots is used in the treatment of swellings, boils, tumours, inflamed skin, vaginitis etc. The roots are harvested in the autumn once the plant has died down, and are dried for later use. A complete cure of uterine cancer by a decoction and uterine injection has been recorded.
Alterative: Causes a gradual beneficial change in the body, usually through improved nutrition and elimination, without having any marked specific action.
Anodyne: Relieves pain, it is milder than an analgesic.
Antiseptic: Preventing sepsis, decay or putrefaction, it destroys or arrests the growth of micro-organisms.
Astringent: Produces contraction in living tissue, reducing the flow of secretions and discharges of blood, mucus, diarrhoea etc.
Demulcent: Soothes, lubricates and softens irritated tissues, especially the mucous membranes.
Dysentery: Used in treating dysentery - an infection of the intestines that causes diarrhoea containing blood or mucus.
Other
Rating:
Scented Plants: Plants noted for their scent
How it is grown
A water plant requiring a rich soil and a sunny position in still or slowly moving water. Succeeds in water from 30 - 120cm deep. Prefers a pH between 6 and 7. There are two basic types of plant in this genus (this species is a crawler): 'crawlers' are species with horizontal roots that often spread freely, with new plants being formed at intervals along the root. These species are useful for naturalising, but they do not flower very freely in the cool summers of Britain. 'clumpers' have vertical roots, they form slowly spreading clumps and produce offsets around the crown. These forms flower much more freely in Britain. The flowers have a fruity perfume like that of ripe apples. The variety rosea is more strongly fragrant.
Propagating it: Seed - sow as soon as it is ripe in a greenhouse in pots submerged under 25mm of water. Prick out into individual pots as soon as the first true leaf appears and grow them on in water in a greenhouse for at least two years before planting them out in late spring. The seed is collected by wrapping the developing seed head in a muslin bag to avoid the seed being lost. Harvest it 10 days after it sinks below the soil surface or as soon as it reappears. Division in May. Each portion must have at least one eye. Submerge in pots in shallow water until established.
Best place to grow: Pond;
Habit: Perennial
Hardiness: 3-7
Growth:
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: No shade
Moisture: Water