Color Limitations

• Water lilies are popular because of the wide variety of colors available, but many of the vivid colored lilies are tropical. Tropical water lilies will not survive in most of the United States.
  
  

Growth Patterns

• Water lilies thrive in ponds that include fish. The fish waste fertilizes the plants and makes them grow larger, but the large growth can hide the fish. Growth that covers too much of the pond can make feeding the fish difficult.
  
  

Growth Conditions

• Water lilies need still, open water, leaving little room for other plants or fountains that maintain oxygen levels needed by fish. Water lilies need full sun, so plants outside the pond will have to be cut back.
  
  

Seasonal Care

• Water lilies grow from tubers that must be divided every three years or so. Division must be completed during the coldest time of the year, while the plant is dormant. Pulling tubers out of a pond in February is too difficult for some gardeners.
  
  

Supplies for Water Lilies

• Water lilies are best managed if they are grown in mesh containers and rooted in coconut husk or loofah gourd material. These supplies allow water to quickly drain out of the container when it is pulled out of the pond, so the plants are easier to lift than a container full of mud. These materials can be expensive.