Darwin Pink Water Lily

Darwin Pink Water Lily (Nymphaea 'Darwin'), also sold as 'Hollandia', carries some of the fullest flowers of any hardy water lily. The large, very double blooms are built like a peony, pale pink on the outer petals and rich pink at the centre. It is a strong grower that spreads to 1.5m, suited to medium and large ponds.

Why you'll love it

• Peony-style flowers. Each bloom is packed with petals, giving a rounded, full shape quite unlike a simple star-shaped lily.
• Two-tone pink. The shading from pale outer petals to a deeper heart gives each flower depth.
• Strong and dependable. It grows with real vigour once settled and is not a fussy plant.
• Flowers that last. The heavy, many-petalled blooms hold their shape well over their days on the water.
• Good surface cover. Broad green pads shade the water and give frogs and insects somewhere to rest.

Where it works best

Medium to large ponds. Give each plant 1.5m of surface. It is too strong for a small bowl.

Formal pools. The regular, full flowers suit a still rectangular or circular pool, one plant at the centre.

Dams. Plant 1.5m apart along a sunny shallow edge for a broad sweep of pink.

Growing Darwin Pink Water Lily in Australia

Position and climate. Full sun, six hours if you can, for flowers of full size. It suits subtropical, warm temperate, cool temperate and Mediterranean gardens.

Soil and planting depth. Give it a generous pot, 40cm or wider, filled with heavy loam and capped with gravel, the rhizome tip left showing. It grows with 40 to 80cm of water over the crown. Settle a young plant at about 40cm first. Keep it in still water, clear of any moving surface.

Water and feed. Big double flowers take feeding. Use slow-release fertiliser tablets in the soil in spring, midsummer and, in long warm seasons, early autumn.

Pruning and winter. Remove finished flowers before they sink and rot, along with any yellow pads. It dies back for winter and returns in spring. Divide every three years, as a strong grower fills its pot fast.

What to expect when it arrives

We sell Darwin in 200mm pots, sold singly. Because each plant claims 1.5m of water, a small pond needs just one or two, and a dam or a series of ponds takes more. It is worth measuring your surface before ordering. Plants arrive potted and damp, not submerged, and should go into water promptly. Tired outer pads are normal after travel and new ones follow. Dormant plants sent in the cool months can look bare until spring. Not every size is held by our growers year round, which means a size may show as on backorder now and then. If you order a backorder size, we confirm it with you before anything ships.

Plants are delivered Australia wide, with delivery from $29.95. Every plant is covered by our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Water plants worth growing in an Australian pond
• See more flowering plants
• Frost hardy plants

Common questions

Is Darwin the same as Hollandia?

Yes. The same plant is sold under both names. Whichever label it carries, expect large, very double pink flowers.

Can I grow it in a tub?

Only a large one, around a metre across. It is a strong grower and soon outgrows small containers, where a compact lily does better.

How deep should I plant it?

With 40 to 80cm of water over the crown once established. Start at the shallow end and lower the pot as the leaf stalks lengthen.