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Nymphaea 'Gonnere' (Snowball Waterlily) care

Nymphaea 'Gonnere'

Also called Snowball Waterlily, Gonnere Waterlily.

RHS H5USDA 4-11Mildly toxic to petsIndoor Spread of roughly 0.9-1.2 m across the surface

Watering rhythm

Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours)

Permanently submerged in still or very slow-moving water

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Light

Direct sun (at least 4-6 hours)

Soil

Heavy aquatic loam or clay-based pond soil

Humidity

Ambient (aquatic)

Temp

15-30°C

Pet safety

Mildly toxic to pets

Mature size

Spread of roughly 0.9-1.2 m across the surface

Care at a glance

Light

Most houseplants will scorch where nymphaea 'gonnere' thrives. Give it the windowsill you'd otherwise leave empty because everything else burned there. Needs full sun, at least 6 hours of direct light daily, to flower well. In shade it produces leaves but few or no blooms. Site it in the open centre of a pond away from overhanging trees. A plant moved abruptly from low light to direct sun bleaches in 48 hours — always acclimatise over a week.

Watering

Aim for permanently submerged in still or very slow-moving water for nymphaea 'gonnere', but treat that as a starting point rather than a rule. A south-facing summer windowsill will dry the pot twice as fast as a north-facing winter room. Lift the pot; if it feels noticeably lighter than it did wet, water it. An aquatic plant: keep the crown in 30-75 cm of water above the soil surface, measured from the top of the planting basket. Avoid moving water and fountains, which damage foliage and suppress flowering. Top up ponds in summer to maintain depth.

Soil and pot

Nymphaea 'Gonnere' grows best in heavy aquatic loam or clay-based pond soil. Plant in a perforated aquatic basket of heavy garden loam or proprietary aquatic compost, never peat or light multipurpose mixes that float away. Cap the soil with washed gravel to stop it clouding the water and to deter fish from disturbing roots. A pot with a working drainage hole is non-negotiable for this species — even free-draining mix will turn soggy in a closed planter. If you love the look of a decorative pot without a hole, use it as a cachepot around an inner nursery pot you can lift out to water.

Humidity and temperature

Nymphaea 'Gonnere' sits happiest at around Ambient (aquatic) humidity and 15-30°C (59-86°F). As a fully aquatic plant, humidity is irrelevant; its leaves float on the water surface and the rhizome stays submerged. Outdoor pond placement supplies all the moisture it needs. If you keep the room above 15 year-round and avoid placing the plant near a cold draught, a hot radiator, or an air-conditioning vent, you have already handled the two biggest indoor stressors.

Fertilising

Feed nymphaea 'gonnere' sparingly. Feed monthly through the growing season (late spring to late summer) with aquatic plant fertiliser tablets or pellets pushed into the basket soil near the roots. Never broadcast loose granular feed into the pond, as it triggers algal blooms. Stop feeding by early autumn. Skip fertiliser entirely on a stressed, recently-repotted, or actively wilting plant — fertiliser salts make damage worse, not better. Wait for a round of healthy new growth before resuming a feeding rhythm.

Common problems

Below are the issues we see most often on nymphaea 'gonnere' in the Growli community. Each is annotated with the most common cause so you know where to start.

  • Few or no flowers — Almost always too little direct sun or planting too deep. Move to full-sun open water and ensure the crown sits no more than about 75 cm below the surface.
  • Yellowing leaves — Old pads naturally yellow and should be pinched off at the base; widespread yellowing signals nutrient depletion, so insert fresh aquatic fertiliser tablets.
  • Aphid infestation — Waterlily aphids cluster on pads and buds. Hose them off into the water for fish to eat, or submerge affected leaves; avoid chemical sprays that harm pond life.
  • Overcrowding and weak bloom — After a few seasons the rhizome congests the basket and flowering declines. Lift and divide in spring, replanting a healthy growing tip in fresh soil.

Propagation

Divide the rhizome in spring as growth restarts. Lift the basket, wash off soil, and cut sections each bearing a growing eye and roots with a clean knife, then replant in fresh aquatic loam and lower gradually back to depth. Propagation is the cheapest, most satisfying way to expand a collection — and it doubles as insurance against losing a mature plant to an accident. Take a backup cutting once the parent is established and healthy.

Toxicity to pets

Nymphaea 'Gonnere' is mildly toxic to pets. Nymphaea is not individually listed on the ASPCA Toxic or Non-Toxic Plants database, so its status is unconfirmed; treat with caution and verify with a vet. True waterlilies (Nymphaea) are NOT the same as the severely nephrotoxic true lilies (Lilium/Hemerocallis) that endanger cats, but ingestion of any aquatic plant may cause gastrointestinal upset. Keep curious pets from grazing pond plants. If you keep cats, dogs, or curious children in the house, weigh placement carefully — a high shelf or a hanging planter is enough for casual safety. For severe ingestion incidents, call your local vet and the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center (in the US, 888-426-4435).

Pet-safety status is sourced from the ASPCA Toxic and Non-Toxic Plant List, which catalogues the most-asked-about plants for cats, dogs, and horses.

Nymphaea 'Gonnere' care — frequently asked questions

What is the common name for Nymphaea 'Gonnere'?

Nymphaea 'Gonnere' is most commonly called Nymphaea 'Gonnere', but it is also known as Snowball Waterlily, Gonnere Waterlily. The names refer to the same species, so care instructions for Nymphaea 'Gonnere' apply identically to anything sold as Snowball Waterlily.

How much light does nymphaea 'gonnere' need?

Nymphaea 'Gonnere' grows best in direct sun (at least 4-6 hours). Needs full sun, at least 6 hours of direct light daily, to flower well. In shade it produces leaves but few or no blooms. Site it in the open centre of a pond away from overhanging trees.

How often should I water nymphaea 'gonnere'?

Water nymphaea 'gonnere' permanently submerged in still or very slow-moving water. An aquatic plant: keep the crown in 30-75 cm of water above the soil surface, measured from the top of the planting basket. Avoid moving water and fountains, which damage foliage and suppress flowering. Top up ponds in summer to maintain depth. The finger-test (or lifting the pot to feel its weight) beats a fixed weekly calendar because pot size, light, and season all change how fast the soil dries.

Is nymphaea 'gonnere' toxic to cats and dogs?

Nymphaea 'Gonnere' is mildly toxic to pets. Nymphaea is not individually listed on the ASPCA Toxic or Non-Toxic Plants database, so its status is unconfirmed; treat with caution and verify with a vet. True waterlilies (Nymphaea) are NOT the same as the severely nephrotoxic true lilies (Lilium/Hemerocallis) that endanger cats, but ingestion of any aquatic plant may cause gastrointestinal upset. Keep curious pets from grazing pond plants.

What USDA hardiness zone does nymphaea 'gonnere' grow in?

Nymphaea 'Gonnere' is rated for USDA zone 4-11 (hardy, overwinters in deep ponds below ice line) and RHS hardiness H5. Outside that range, grow it as a container plant that overwinters indoors before the first hard frost.

Nymphaea 'Gonnere' deep-dive guides

Every aspect of nymphaea 'gonnere' care, each with its own calibrated guide:

Featured in these plant shortlists

Nymphaea 'Gonnere' qualifies for 3 curated Growli shortlists — each one filtered objectively from our structured plant-care library, so the selection is consistent and checkable:

Related guides

Nymphaea 'Gonnere' is also commonly called Snowball Waterlily or Gonnere Waterlily.