Karleen Harder is a tough, easy-growing water lily that adds warm colour and interest to any pond or water garden. From late spring through summer and into early autumn, it produces lovely sunset-toned flowers with star-shaped, two-toned petals that shift from soft peachy shades to warm yellow. The blooms sit just above the water surface, creating a gentle, glowing display across the pond. Its green leaves are beautifully speckled with purple when young, gradually turning greener as they mature, while also helping shade the water and provide shelter for fish and frogs. Water lilies go dormant in winter, so plants may arrive as a resting rhizome with few or no leaves, but fresh growth will quickly appear once the weather warms. Flowering runs from late spring through summer into early autumn, and an established plant can spread to around one metre wide. Plant at the bottom of the pond in about 30–60 cm of water and let the leaves grow naturally to the surface. Frost hardy, with the rhizome resting safely below water over winter before reshooting in spring.
