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Fragrant Water-lily

Nymphaea odorata

—
Not scored

Native status: sources disagree, under review. How scores work Is it native here?

Profile 65%

Height
2 feet
Light
Full sun
Soil moisture
Wet
Will it fit your yard?

At a glance

Life cycle
Perennial
Leaves
Deciduous

Not yet recorded · Spread · Bloom

County records are not available.

Also found with this plant

Wildlife whose habitat models include habitats this plant grows in, in West Virginia. Shared habitat, not food. 127 animals.

All wildlife of West Virginia

Ecological relationships

Who uses this plant?

What these records mean

7CaterpillarsGenus host records with ranges including WV

Genus host records with ranges including WV · Nymphaea

  • Bellura gortynoidesWhite-Tailed Diver
  • Bellura vulnificaWhite Waterlily Diver, Black-Tailed Diver
  • Elophila obliteralisWaterlily Leafcutter Moth
  • Parapoynx allionealisWatermilfoil Leafcutter, Bladderwort Casemaker
  • Parapoynx maculalisPolymorphic Pondweed Moth
  • Parapoynx obscuralisObscure Pondweed Moth
  • Spodoptera ornithogalliYellow-Striped Armyworm Moth, Cotton Cutworm
Shropshire & Tallamy 2025, Lepidoptera of North America north of Mexico, ZooKeys 1261 (ODbL)
—BeesSoutheastern regional records
—Specialist beesPollen specialists
5BirdsRecorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim

Recorded genus food-resource interactions; not a state feeding claim · Nymphaea

  • Aix sponsaWood Duck
  • Antigone canadensisSandhill Crane
  • Aythya affinisLesser Scaup
  • Aythya collarisRing-necked Duck
  • Gallinula galeataCommon Gallinule
Hurlbert, Olsen, Sawyer & Winner 2021, Avian Diet Database, Scientific Data 8: 260 (CC0)

Direct food only: birds recorded eating this genus across North America. Caterpillars on host plants also feed nesting birds. NC Native Plant Society: butterfly gardening

No records yet · Ants · Beetles · Flies · Adult butterflies / moths · Other wasps · Other insects

Growing and identification

Plant details

Family
Nymphaeaceae
Flower color
White

What its natural habitat tells you

Safety has not been reviewed for this plant; check toxicity and thorns before planting.

Growing sources and scope
Also known as

Fragrant Water lily; White Water Lily

Conservation status

West Virginia rankSNA
Global rankG5
WV statusNot verified
Federal statusNot verified

Conservation source Global and federal source

In your garden

Will it fit your yard?

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How to check your spot

Growing cautions

For planning only; these do not change the score or Fit.

Sources