Water Lilies – Plant Carefully

Q: Our home is on a community lake and I would like to add some water lilies to our shoreline. But I’ve been told that they are very invasive. True?

A: DO NOT plant water lilies! They will definitely become a problem for the lake ecosystem. Water lily reproduces both by seeds and by rhizomes. One source says that one planted rhizome will cover a 15-foot-diameter circle in five years. They are terribly hard to remove from a lake. If you like the beautiful flowers of this plant, visit Gibbs Gardens in Ball Ground (www.gibbsgardens.com). Five ponds located there display over 140 varieties of this plant from summer through early fall.

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