Our fragrant water lilies (Nymphaea odorata) have been appearing in ponds for about two weeks, but the flowers are just starting to become numerous amid the floating carpets of their lily pads. The best time to see the full beauty of these native flowers is early in the day when they first open up and the yellow pollen-producing stamens at the centers are more obvious. (See also the image in the first Comment space.) Their floating lily pads contain pores (“stomata”) through which the plants breathe. After pollination, the flowers will sink, and their seeds will mature in the flowers’ fruits.
Water lilies are major contributors to wildlife. Their pads provide hunting and resting platforms for birds, frogs, dragonflies, damselflies, and other insects; they also provide shade for fish and insects below, while keeping the water cool. Their fleshy stems are eaten by beavers, muskrats, moose, deer, and porcupines, and their seeds are loved by ducks.
(Images taken in Brooklin, Maine, on June 20, 2025.)