Native Plants

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Bengston, Bennie

Nuphar lutea ssp. variegata

Nuphar lutea (L.) Sm. ssp. variegata (Durand) E.O. Beal

Varigated Yellow Pond-lily, Spatterdock

Nymphaeaceae (Water-Lily Family)

Synonym(s): Nuphar advena var. fraterna, Nuphar variegata, Nymphaea fraterna

USDA Symbol: NULUV

USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N), SPM (N)

A floating aquatic plant with mostly yellow, cup-like flowers.

This is the most familiar yellow pond-lily in the Northeast. Common Spatterdock (N. lutea ssp. advena) is very similar, but its leaves are frequently raised above the water.

From the Image Gallery

11 photo(s) available in the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Herb
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Breeding System: Flowers Bisexual
Fruit Type: Berry
Size Notes: Leaves mostly floating, leaf blades up to about 14 inches long by 10 inches wide.

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: Red , Yellow , Green
Bloom Time: May , Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep

Distribution

USA: CT , DE , IA , ID , IL , IN , KS , MA , MD , ME , MI , MN , MT , ND , NE , NH , NJ , NY , OH , PA , RI , SD , VT , WI
Canada: NL , NS , ON , PE
Native Distribution: Yukon south and east across Canada to Newfoundland, south to Maryland and Pennsylvania, west to Illinois, Iowa, and Kansas, and northwest to Idaho.
Native Habitat: Pond margins, quiet streams.

National Wetland Indicator Status

Region:	AGCP	AK	AW	CB	EMP	GP	HI	MW	NCNE	WMVE
Status:	OBL				OBL	OBL		OBL	OBL	OBL

This information is derived from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers National Wetland Plant List, Version 3.1 (Lichvar, R.W. 2013. The National Wetland Plant List: 2013 wetland ratings. Phytoneuron 2013-49: 1-241). Click here for map of regions.

Bibliography

Bibref 1294 - The Midwestern Native Garden: Native Alternatives to Nonnative Flowers and Plants An Illustrated Guide (2011) Adelman, Charlotte and Schwartz, Bernard L.

Search More Titles in Bibliography

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

USDA: Find Nuphar lutea ssp. variegata in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Nuphar lutea ssp. variegata in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Nuphar lutea ssp. variegata

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-04-19
Research By: TWC Staff

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