Wild Wednesday – Yellow waterlily
The British waterlily (Nuphar Lutea) flowers from June to September, a wild aquatic plant with one to two inch oval yellow petals. It is found in ponds, lakes, and slow flowing rivers, with some shaded areas.
It smells like the dregs of wine, which has resulted in another common name - 'Brandy Bottle' and is said to symbolise unity, creation, gracefulness.
Waterlilies are good plants to add to a wildlife-friendly pond, providing shelter for frogs and early nectar for insects.
All plants in the lily family are dangerously toxic to people and pets.
In time, most lily bulbs multiply and the plants grow into large clumps with several stems and develop strong roots.
The lily leaf beetle larvae, or grubs, cause the most damage to this plant. Hundreds of larvae can hatch at one time, and they begin eating immediately. The leaves are their preferred food, but they will also devour the buds, flowers, and stems. Most feeding takes place under the leaves or at leaf nodes along the stem.
Flowerless yellow waterlilies can be told apart from white varieties by their leaf veins - on yellow waterlilies they are straight at the leaf margin, where white ones form a net-like pattern.
. Read more here: Yellow water-lily | The Wildlife Trusts