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The Nonindigenous Occurrences section of the NAS species profiles has a new structure. The section is now dynamically updated from the NAS database to ensure that it contains the most current and accurate information. Occurrences are summarized in Table 1, alphabetically by state, with years of earliest and most recent observations, and the tally and names of drainages where the species was observed. The table contains hyperlinks to collections tables of specimens based on the states, years, and drainages selected. References to specimens that were not obtained through sighting reports and personal communications are found through the hyperlink in the Table 1 caption or through the individual specimens linked in the collections tables.

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Common name: American white waterlily

Synonyms and Other Names: Fragrant water-lily, white water-lily, pond-lily

Taxonomy: available through www.itis.gov

Identification: Nymphaea odorata is a floating aquatic perennial that produces large flowers and may form dense mats (Schneider and Chaney 1981, Dalton et al. 1983). A mature plant will have 6-8 orbicular waxy leaves that are green above, purplish beneath, and with radiate venation lacking a central web-like pattern (Conrad 1905, Dalton et al. 1983, Wiersema and Hellquist 1997). Petioles are greenish-purple, and length varies according to water depth and possibly shading (Conrad 1905, Dalton et al. 1983, Etnier and Villani 2007).  The large fragrant flower has 17-43 ovate to elliptical-lanceolate (tapered) white petals and purple to purplish green sepals in whorls of 4 (Conrad 1905, Wiersema and Hellquist 1997). The flowers open early in the morning and remain open for 3-4 successive days (Conrad 1905).  The rhizomes are repent and lacking stolons (Wiersema and Hellquist 1997).

Size: Flowers are up to 6 inches wide; leaves are up to 10 inches wide (Dalton et al. 1983).

Native Range: In North America, N. odorata ranges from Florida north to Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, south to Virginia and Arkansas, west to Manitoba, Nebraska, Texas, and down through central Mexico. It is also native throughout Central America and the Greater Antilles (Conrad 1905, Wiersema and Hellquist 1997.)

Alaska	Hawaii	Puerto Rico & Virgin Islands	Guam Saipan

Hydrologic Unit Codes (HUCs) Explained
Interactive maps: Point Distribution Maps

Ecology: Nymphaea odorata occurs in fresh to slightly brackish ponds, lakes and sluggish streams and rivers, with organic substrates, such as clay, gravel, loam, and peat (Wiersema and Hellquist 1997, Les 2018), and does well in stagnant and muddy waters (Dalton et al. 1983). They are found most often in full sun but can grow in partial shade (Les 2018).  In more shaded environments they exhibit heterophylly, where a secondary aerial leaf type is produced, likely to maximize photosynthetic capabilities (Villani and Etnier 2008, Etnier et al. 2017). Nymphaea odorata can reproduce sexually when flowering occurs from June to October (Conrad 1905). The opening of the flower, when fully receptive for pollination (Anthesis), occurs over a 3-day period (Schnieder and Chaney 1981). Flowers are protogynous, meaning the pollen receptive female stigmas open before the pollen releasing male anthers, thus preventing self-pollination (Cheney 1979, Williams et al. 2010). Flowers are pollinated by insects, most frequently by bees in the Halictidae family and flies (Schnieder and Chaney 1981, Wiersema 1988). Seeds released from fruit will float to the surface and disperse via wind or water current (Les, 2018). When seeds lose buoyancy, they will sink to the bottom where they germinate immediately or remain dormant if exposed to cold (Conrad 1905, Les 2018). Dispersal may also occur when waterfowl ingest seeds and excrete them in other water bodies (Schnieder and Chaney 1981, Les 2018). Nymphaea odorata can also reproduce vegetatively by producing rhizomes (Wiersema and Hellquist 1997, Les 2018) and can spread when ethylene gas is released by seeds and rhizomes allow for increased production of vegetative structures (Woods 2003, Mascari 2022). Dispersal may also occur when detached rhizomes (tubers) float and become rooted elsewhere (Wiersma 1998, Les 2018).

Means of Introduction: Intentionally introduced via planting due to their ornamental appeal (Wiersema and Hellquist 1997, Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board 2013). May inadvertently spread on boats or trailers between waterbodies (Morgan and Sytsma 2009).

Status: Established in Arizona, California, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon, and Washington.

Impact of Introduction:

Summary of species impacts derived from literature review. Click on an icon to find out more...

Ecological	Economic	Human Health

Dense mats of floating N. odorata impede oxygen transfer at the water surface, creating hypoxic conditions that can lead to fish mortality (Frodge et al., 1995). These mats also reduce open water space, resulting in decreased waterfowl use of affected areas (Baker 2025), and may outcompete Washington State’s native waterlily, Nuphar luteum (Smith 2007). Dense mats obstruct irrigation ditches, slowing water flow, increasing water loss through transpiration, and promoting sediment accumulation (Else and Reimer, 1984; Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board, 2013). The growth of N. odorata restricts access to lakefronts, swimming areas, and waterways, impeding boating and recreation and may pose a public safety risk due to the potential for entanglement and drowning (Washington State Noxious Weed Board, 2013).

Remarks: Molecular analysis of N. odorata further supports the two subspecies classification (Woods 2005). Hybrids between Nymphaea odorata ssp. odorata and ssp. tuberosa can occur where populations geographically overlap (Woods 2003), making classification based on morphology difficult due to intermediate characteristics (Wiersema and Hellquist 1997).

All parts of N. odorata are considered edible either cooked or raw (Fike 2022). The roots and flowers are used medicinally as an antiseptic to treat skin infections and roots have been used to make tea to treat ailments such as bronchial and gastrointestinal issues (Bown 1995, Pandey et al. 2014, Fike 2022).

References: (click for full references)

AquaTechnex. 2025. Barnes Lake proposal for aquatic plant management 2024-2026. AquaTechnex, LLC, Bellingham, WA. https://mccmeetingspublic.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/tumwater-meet-fe8b07c941324dc1aa798754befe5ccc/ITEM-Attachment-001-8f86ef2847ba499287785bf4564802a2.pdf. Alaska Natural Heritage Program. 2011. White waterlily Nymphaea odorata ssp. odorata. https://accs.uaa.alaska.edu/wp-content/uploads/Nymphaea_odorata_ssp_odorata_BIO_NYODO.pdf. Accessed 04/18/2025.

Alaska Natural Heritage Program. 2011. White waterlily Nymphaea odorata ssp. odorata. https://accs.uaa.alaska.edu/wp-content/uploads/Nymphaea_odorata_ssp_odorata_BIO_NYODO.pdf. Accessed 04/18/2025.

Baker, V.P. 2025. The impacts of water lily invasion and removal on wetland ecosystem functions. Unpublished M.S. thesis. Rochester Institute of Technology,, Rochester, NY.

Bown, D. 1995. Encyclopedia of herbs and their uses. Dorling Kindersley, London.

Chaney, T.P. 1979. The floral biology of Nymphaea odorata Aiton. Unpublished M.S. thesis. Southwest Texas State University, San Marcos, TX.

Conrad H.S. 1905. The Waterlilies: A Monograph of the Genus Nymphaea. The Carnegie Institution of Washington, Baltimore, MD.

Dalton, P.A., R.A. Novelo, and A. Storey. 1983. Aquatic and wetland plants of the Arnold Arboretum. Arnoldia 43(2):7-44.

Else, M.J. and D.N. Riemer. (1984). Factors affecting germination of seeds of fragrant waterlily (Nymphaea odorata). Journal of Aquatic Plant Management 22:22-25.

Etnier, S.A. and P.J. Villani. 2007. Differences in mechanical and structural properties of surface and aerial petioles of the aquatic plant Nymphaea odorata subsp. tuberosa (Nymphaeaceae). American Journal of Botany 94(7):1067–1072. https://doi.org/10.3732/ajb.94.7.1067.

Etnier, S.A., P.J. Villani, and T.J. Ryan. 2017. Influence of light quality and quantity on heterophylly in the aquatic plant Nymphaea odorata subsp. tuberosa (Nymphaeaceae). Northeastern Naturalist 24(2):152–164. https://doi.org/10.1656/045.024.0205.

Fike, J. 2022. Edible Plants: A Photographic Survey of the Wild Edible Botanicals of North America. Red Lightning Books, Bloomington, IN.

Frodge, J.D., D.A. Marino, G.B. Pauley, and G.L. Thomas. 1995. . Mortality of largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) and steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in densely vegetated littoral areas tested using in situ bioassay. Lake and Reservoir Management 11(4):343–358. https://doi.org/10.1080/07438149509354216.

King County Noxious Weed Control Program. 2010. Fragrant water Lily. King County, Washington. https://your.kingcounty.gov/dnrp/library/water-and-land/weeds/Bmps/fragrant-water-lily-control.pdf. Accessed 04/18/2025.

Lázaro-Lobo, A., G. Turnage, K. Calhoun, and G.M. Ervin. 2024. Effects of select herbicides for management of American lotus, white waterlily, and watershield. Journal of Aquatic Plant Management 82(1):15–22. https://doi.org/10.57257/JAPM-D-21-00021.

Les, D.H. 2018. Aquatic dicotyledons of North America: ecology, life history, and systematics. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.

Mascari, C. 2022. Fragrant water-lily (Nymphaea odorata). https://naturefilm.montana.edu/extension/invasiveplants/extension/monthly-weed-posts/2022-july-fragrant-water-lily.html. Accessed 04/18/2025.

Morgan, V.H. and M. Sytsma. 2009. Introduction to common native and potential invasive freshwater plants in Alaska. The Center for Lakes and Reservoirs at Portland State University, Portland, OR.

Pandey, A.K., R.K. Dubey, and V. Singh. 2014. Aquatic vegetables as a source of underutilized vegetables. Page 45-59 in Winter School on Exploiting the Potential of Underutilized Vegetables of NEH Region for Nutritional Security and Economic Prosperity.

Schneider, E.L. and T. Chaney. 1981. The floral biology of Nymphaea odorata (Nymphaeaceae). The Southwestern Naturalist 26:159–165. https://doi.org/10.2307/3671112.

Villani, P.J. and S.A. Etnier. 2008. Natural History of Heterophylly in Nymphaea odorata ssp. tuberosa (Nymphaeaceae). Northeastern Naturalist 15(2):177–188. https://doi.org/10.1656/1092-6194(2008)15[177:NHOHIN]2.0.CO;2.

Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board. 2013. Written findings of the Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board- Nymphaea odorata. Washington State Noxious Weed Control Board, Olympia, WA. https://www.nwcb.wa.gov/pdfs/WF_Nymphaea_odorata_June_2013.pdf.

Wiersema, J.H. and C.B. Hellquist. 1997. Nymphaeceae. Pages 67-77 in Flora of North America: North of Mexico Volume 3: Magnoliophyta: Magnoliidae and Hamamelidae. Oxford University Press. Oxford, England.

Wiersema, J.H. 1988. Reproductive biology of Nymphaea (Nymphaeaceae). Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden 75:795–804. https://doi.org/10.2307/2399367.

Williams, J.H., R.T. Mcneilage, M.T. Lettre, and M.L. Taylor. 2010. Pollen tube growth and the pollen-tube pathway of Nymphaea odorata (Nymphaeaceae). Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society 162:581–593. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8339.2010.01039.x.

Woods, K.Y. 2003. Nymphaea odorata (Water-lily, Nymphaeaceae): Analyses of molecular and morphological studies. Unpublished M.S. thesis. Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA.

Woods, K.Y, K.W. Hilu, J.H., Wiersema, and T. Borsch. 2005. Pattern of variation and systematics of Nymphaea odorata: I. Evidence from morphology and inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSRs). Systematic Botany 30(3):471–480. https://doi.org/10.1600/0363644054782161.

 

Other Resources:
US Fish and Wildlife Service Ecological Risk Screening Summary for Nymphaea odorata

Global Invasive Species Database Profile

Author: Teague, A.T.

Peer Review Date: 4/9/2026

This information is preliminary or provisional and is subject to revision. It is being provided to meet the need for timely best science. The information has not received final approval by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and is provided on the condition that neither the USGS nor the U.S. Government shall be held liable for any damages resulting from the authorized or unauthorized use of the information.