Texas Dawn Hardy Water Lily

Texas Dawn Hardy Water Lily – The Pride of the Lone Star State

Texas Dawn Hardy Water Lily is a true American icon — an award-winning hybrid recognized as the Official Water Lily of the State of Texas, hybridized by our friend Ken Landon. It's large, brilliant yellow flowers, held gracefully above the water’s surface, radiate the same sunshine energy as a Texas summer morning.

With a rich fragrance and vigorous growth, this variety is admired for its strong performance, long blooming season, and stunning beauty. Each flower opens wide in the morning light, revealing golden-yellow petals that seem to glow against its striking, lightly mottled pads.

Texas Dawn is hardy, dependable, and spectacular — the perfect blend of resilience and radiance, just like the state it represents.

Planting & Care Instructions

• Plant Size: Large hardy waterlily

• Spread: 4–6 feet across

• Suggested Container: 16–20 inch wide aquatic fabric container, or plant directly into the shallow shelf of an earth-bottom pond

• Planting Depth (from soil to water surface): 8–20 inches; shallower placement encourages earlier and heavier blooms

• Soil: Use heavy loam topsoil or PondGro Aquatic Loam Soil. Avoid bagged compost, peat, or aquatic planting media — these float and rot in water.

• Sunlight Needs: Full sun — minimum 6+ hours of strong midday light daily

• Water Conditions: Calm, still water preferred for largest blooms and best coloration.

Fertilizing Schedule

• Fertilize on the 1st and 15th of each month (May–September).

• Insert 4–6 Waterlily World Fertilizer Tablets 3–4 inches deep near the rhizome crown.

• Regular feeding ensures strong growth, continuous flowering, and rich color intensity.

Fragrance

The Texas Dawn Hardy Water Lily has a strong, sweet fragrance — one of the most aromatic hardy waterlilies ever developed. Its clean, classic scent fills the garden and is especially noticeable during warm midday hours.

Water Lily Planting Tips

💡 Plant Texas Dawn in full sun and wide containers for maximum bloom production.
💡 Use heavy loam soil; avoid lightweight or organic mixes.
💡 Position plants in calm water, away from fountains or splashing.
💡 Divide rhizomes every 1–2 years to maintain healthy growth and regular flowering.
💡 Keep water temperatures above 60°F (16°C) for best performance in early season planting.

Do’s & Don’ts

Do

• Plant in full, direct sunlight for the richest yellow color.

• Use heavy loam soil to anchor roots securely.

• Fertilize consistently to maintain abundant blooms.

• Keep water still for the cleanest, upright flower display.

• Divide periodically to prevent crowding and maintain vigor.

Don’t

• ❌ Don’t use gravel, compost, or bagged soils — these float or rot.

• ❌ Don’t bury the crown below the soil line — it must remain slightly exposed.

• ❌ Don’t plant too deep (>20 inches) or bloom production will decrease.

• ❌ Don’t allow floating plants to shade Texas Dawn — it thrives in open sun.

• ❌ Don’t delay planting; lilies must stay wet and be potted immediately upon arrival.

Shipping Information

• Shipping Window: April through September across the continental USA

• Spring Schedule: Ships according to our posted planting calendar, timed for your region’s safe planting window (northern states ship later).

• Weekly Shipments: After spring begins, plants ship weekly through summer, usually until or through September.

• Method: 2–3 day service (usually UPS); occasionally USPS or FedEx depending on location.

• Schedule: Orders are shipped early each week to avoid weekend delays.

• Tracking: You’ll receive an email with tracking details the day your order ships.

Arrival & Guarantee:

• Shipped as a live pond plant (rhizome with starter growth).

• Must be repotted immediately in heavy loam soil or planted directly into an earth-bottom pond.

• Keep all parts — rhizome, crown, roots, and leaves — wet during unpacking and planting.

• Minor yellowing or bent leaves from shipping are normal and quickly replaced with new growth.

• For concerns, email photos within 24 hours (unpacked plant + packing slip with initials) to PondQuestions@gmail.com.

Texas Dawn Hardy Water Lily – Specifications

About the Variety – Texas Dawn

The Texas Dawn Hardy Water Lily was hybridized by the late Ken Landon of San Angelo, Texas — one of America’s most influential waterlily hybridizers and curator of the International Water Lily Collection. This award-winning cultivar has become a symbol of Texas horticultural excellence.

Chosen as the Official Water Lily of the State of Texas, it’s admired worldwide for its strength, fragrance, and radiant yellow color. With proper care, Texas Dawn produces bloom after bloom all season long, bringing the warmth and beauty of a Texas sunrise to your pond.

Benefits of Texas Dawn Hardy Water Lily

• 🌞 Official State Water Lily of Texas — award-winning American hybrid.

• 🌺 Large, brilliant yellow blooms that rise gracefully above the water.

• 🌿 Strong fragrance fills your garden with summer sweetness.

• 💪 Hardy and vigorous — easy to grow and long-lived.

• 🌸 Blooms all summer with proper sunlight and fertilizing.

Why Gardeners Love This Variety

Because the Texas Dawn Hardy Water Lily is more than just a plant — it’s a living symbol of American gardening excellence. It combines classic beauty, sweet fragrance, and powerful performance in one incredible variety.

Gardeners love its massive, glowing blooms and strong constitution, which thrives from cool northern climates to the heat of the south. It’s dependable, fragrant, and unforgettable — truly the pride of every pond.