Nymphaeaceae
American white waterlily
Nymphaea odorata
- Family
- Nymphaeaceae
- Genus
- Nymphaea
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Common names
By language (11)
- Arabic
- الزنبق الأمريكي الأبيض
- Cantonese
- 香睡蓮
- Chinese
- 香睡蓮, 香睡莲
- English
- American white waterlily, Beaver root, Fragrant water-lily, Sweet-scented water lily, White water lily
- French
- Nymphée odorante
- German
- Wohlriechende Seerose
- lah
- مشکی اپسرا
- Persian
- نیلوفر آبی بیدستر
- Russian
- Кувшинка душистая
- Swedish
- Doftnäckros
- Tamil
- குவளை
Synonyms
- Castalia minor (Sims) DC. ex Small
- Castalia odorata (Aiton) Wood
- Leuconymphaea odorata (Aiton) MacMill.
- Nymphaea odorata f. odorata
- Nymphaea odorata var. odorata
Flowers
- In flower
- June to August (from 4,700 flowering iNaturalist observations worldwide)
Characteristics
- Growth habit
- Forb/herb
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- In the US and Canada
- Alaska: introduced, Canada: native, Lower 48 states: native, Puerto Rico: native
Photos
FlowerPhoto: Bonnie Semmling, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
FlowerPhoto: David Garza, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
FlowerPhoto: Michelle W. （鍾偉瑋）, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
FlowerPhoto: Sandy Wolkenberg, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
Photo: IvanTortuga, CC BY-SA 3.0, from Wikimedia Commons 
Photo: Ryan Hodnett, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons Photo: Marleen Reith, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF 
Photo: Ryan Hodnett, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons Photo: Teresa Lui, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF 
Photo: Paul Roots, CC BY 4.0, from iNaturalist 
Photo: Ryan Hodnett, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Wikimedia Commons Photo: Joyce Knight, CC BY-SA 4.0, from Pl@ntNet via GBIF
More in Nymphaea
- European white waterlilyNymphaea albaNymphaeaceae
- White Egyptian lotusNymphaea lotusNymphaeaceae
- Blue water lilyNymphaea nouchaliNymphaeaceae
- Nymphaea candidaNymphaeaceae
- Hairy water lilyNymphaea pubescensNymphaeaceae
- Pygmy waterlilyNymphaea tetragonaNymphaeaceae
- Yellow waterlilyNymphaea mexicanaNymphaeaceae
- Pygmy Rwandan waterlilyNymphaea thermarumNymphaeaceae
- Dotleaf waterlilyNymphaea amplaNymphaeaceae
- Giant waterlilyNymphaea giganteaNymphaeaceae
- Blue Egyptian lotusNymphaea micranthaNymphaeaceae
- Amazon waterlilyNymphaea amazonumNymphaeaceae
Sources: classification, synonyms from World Flora Online Plant List (2026-06, CC0 1.0); common names, popularity from Wikidata (2026-10-26, CC0 1.0); common names, US characteristics from USDA PLANTS Database (2025-05-29, CC0 1.0). About our plant data.