Imagine ordering beautiful water lilies for a backyard pond. The photographs show floating green pads and colorful flowers resting on the water's surface. When the package arrives, however, there are no lily pads, flowers, or decorative pots. Instead, the shipment contains thick rhizomes and roots prepared for planting.
For gardeners new to aquatic plants, this appearance can be unexpected. However, water lilies and many other moisture-loving perennials naturally grow from underground or underwater structures. These structures allow the plants to establish roots, store energy, and produce new leaves when growing conditions become suitable.
TN Nursery supplies a variety of bare-root plants for traditional gardens as well as ponds, wetlands, and rain gardens. The company's family growing history dates back to 1959, and its catalog includes native species adapted to both ordinary garden soil and consistently moist environments.
The reason aquatic plants arrive bare-root is straightforward: the important living structure can often be transported without the mature foliage or a heavy container of wet soil.
Learning how these roots function is essential because water plants frequently require different installation methods from woodland perennials or dormant trees.
Why Water Lilies and Wetland Perennials Are Shipped as Roots
Water lilies are among the most recognizable aquatic plants. Their broad leaves float on the surface, while colorful flowers open above the water during the growing season.
What many gardeners do not see is the underground structure supporting that beautiful display. Water lilies develop thick rhizomes that grow within soil beneath the water. Roots extend into the growing medium, while stems rise toward the surface.
The Water Lily Plant is an example of an aquatic perennial that can be purchased as bare-root planting material.
A rhizome may resemble a firm, irregular piece of root rather than the attractive flowering plant shown in a mature photograph. This is normal because the rhizome contains growing points capable of producing new leaves and flowers.
Removing an established water lily from its pond, including a large container filled with wet soil, would create an unnecessarily heavy shipment. Transporting the suitable living rhizome separately makes packaging and planting more practical.
However, aquatic plants still require careful moisture management during transportation. Their tissues should be protected according to the nursery's handling instructions.
Another moisture-loving plant is the Cardinal Flower. This striking native perennial produces vivid red flower spikes that attract hummingbirds and add brilliant color to moist borders.
Cardinal Flower commonly grows in damp meadows, streamside environments, and other locations where soil moisture remains relatively consistent.
Unlike water lilies, Cardinal Flowers are not normally grown with their entire crowns permanently submerged underwater. They are better suited to moist soil near water rather than deep pond planting.
These two plants illustrate the importance of distinguishing aquatic plants from wetland-edge perennials. Both appreciate moisture, but their roots and crowns require different growing conditions.
TN Nursery's article Are Lily Pads Producers? How Water Lilies Feed a Pond explains how floating water lily leaves contribute to the pond ecosystem and includes planting guidance.
How to Plant Bare-Root Water Lilies in a Pond Correctly
Planting water lily rhizomes requires a different approach from installing ordinary garden perennials. Water lilies grow in soil beneath the water, while their leaves and flowers develop upward toward the surface.
For backyard ponds, a wide aquatic planting container is often a convenient option. It allows the gardener to position the rhizome correctly and control the planting depth as the plant grows.
Begin by selecting a suitable container and filling it with heavy aquatic soil or a dense clay-based garden soil. Lightweight potting mixes containing bark, peat, or perlite are generally poor choices because the materials can float away and cloud the pond.
Place the water lily rhizome at a slight angle with its growing tip pointing upward. The roots and most of the rhizome should be secured within the soil, but the crown or growing tip must remain exposed.
This is an important detail. Burying the growing tip too deeply may interfere with the development of new leaves.
After positioning the rhizome, gently secure the soil with an appropriate thin layer of gravel, avoiding the growing tip.
The pot must then be submerged in the pond. Begin with the crown beneath approximately six to twelve inches of water, depending on the variety and the nursery's instructions.
As new lily pads develop and reach the surface, the container can gradually be lowered to the recommended mature planting depth.
Water lilies generally prefer calm water and substantial sunlight. Moving fountains, waterfalls, and splashing water can interfere with their leaves and flowers.
Cardinal Flowers require a different method. Their roots should be planted in appropriately moist garden soil, with the crown positioned correctly rather than buried beneath several feet of water.
Customers developing larger aquatic and wetland landscapes can purchase Wholesale Water Lilies and Wholesale Red Cardinal Flowers from Tennessee Wholesale Nursery.
Both can contribute to attractive pond landscapes when positioned according to their different moisture requirements.
The wholesale nursery provides more detailed instructions in How to Plant Water Lilies in Pots or Pond Bottoms.
Why Bare-Root Water Plants Need Different Care After Delivery
The successful establishment of aquatic plants depends on creating an environment similar to their natural habitat. A water lily placed in ordinary dry garden soil will not perform like one rooted in an appropriate submerged growing medium.
Likewise, a Cardinal Flower planted beneath deep water may experience problems because it is adapted to moist soils rather than the fully submerged growing position of a water lily rhizome.
When an aquatic plant order arrives, open the package promptly and inspect the planting material. Healthy rhizomes should generally feel firm and have recognizable growing points, although natural appearance varies among species.
Customers should follow the nursery's instructions regarding temporary hydration and handling. The roots must not be allowed to dry excessively before planting.
For water lilies, prepare the aquatic planting container before unpacking whenever possible. This reduces the amount of time the rhizome remains exposed outside its intended environment.
Once installed, monitor the pond for new leaf development. Floating leaves may not appear immediately because the plant needs time to establish and produce stems long enough to reach the surface.
Blooming can take additional time. The amount of sunlight, water temperature, planting depth, and maturity of the rhizome all influence flower production.
Gardeners should not expect a newly planted water lily to cover the pond with mature foliage overnight.
During its establishment period, avoid moving the container repeatedly unless the planting depth needs adjustment. Excessive disturbance can interfere with root development.
For Cardinal Flowers, maintain consistently moist soil and choose a location with suitable sunlight. In hotter climates, some protection from intense afternoon sun can be beneficial.
Water lilies and Cardinal Flowers can create an attractive combination in a pond landscape because they occupy different growing positions. The lilies provide floating foliage, while Cardinal Flowers contribute upright red blooms along suitable pond edges.
Water lilies can also provide shade and shelter for fish and other aquatic organisms. Their floating pads contribute to the structure of a pond ecosystem, while their flowers attract visiting insects.
Remember that some aquatic and wetland plants die back during colder months. Hardy perennial roots can survive dormancy and produce new growth when the next suitable growing season arrives.
So, why are my plants bare root? TN Nursery ships suitable aquatic and wetland plants in forms that allow their living roots or rhizomes to be transported efficiently and installed into the correct growing environment.
The absence of lily pads or flowers at delivery does not automatically indicate a problem. Those features develop after the rhizome begins growing under suitable conditions.
For gardeners willing to understand the unique needs of aquatic plants, a simple bare-root rhizome can become the beginning of a beautiful water garden filled with floating leaves, colorful flowers, and wildlife activity.
