Pond lilies are water plants with large, heart-shaped leaves that float on top of the water like little green rafts! These floating leaves are often called “lily pads,” and if you look closely, you might see a tiny frog sitting on one or a dragonfly resting its shiny wings. The leaves have a special waxy coating on top that makes water roll right off, kind of like a raincoat for a plant. Pond lilies grow in calm, shallow water like ponds, lakes, and slow-moving streams all around the world.
Pond lilies have beautiful yellow or golden flowers that bloom right on the surface of the water and smell sweet to attract bees and beetles. The plant has long, rubbery stems that stretch all the way down to the muddy bottom of the pond, sometimes as far as six feet, to hold the plant in place like an anchor. Under the water, pond lilies have thick roots called rhizomes that store food for the plant during the cold winter months. When spring comes again, the plant uses that stored food to send up brand new lily pads and flowers, ready to start a new season on the pond!