Bull-head pond-lily (Yellow pond-lily) - Nuphar variegata   Nuphar lutea

Above: Bull-head pond-lily in Lake Wingra in Madison, Wisconsin. (6/08/23).

Bull-head pond-lily - Nuphar variegata - (Nuphar lutea)

The Bull-head pond-lily is a native plant tha grows in still or slowly moving water less than 7' deep.

The Bull-head pond-lily has a single, yellow flower that is the size between a golf ball and a tennis ball. The bright yellow flower has 6 petals that may be green on the outer surface near the base with a reddish color on the inside near the base. The flower partially opens in the morning and closes at night.

In older references, the Yellow Pond-lily, is labeled Nuphar lutea or Nuphar lutea subsp. variegata. However, using today's plant taxonomy, Nuphar lutea should not be used for any North American Nuphar members. The genus Nuphar is now represented by eight distinct species in North America *. Nuphar variegata is also referenced as Nuphar advena var. fraterna and Nuphar lutea subsp. variegata (L.) Sm.. It is one of the parents to the hybrid Nuphar X rubrodisca, which has slightly smaller flowers with a red disk and is usually found in Northern Wisconsin. Bull-head pond-lily - Nuphar variegata is similar to Yellow Water-lily - Nuphar advena (a Special Concern plant in Wisconsin). The more common Nuphar variegata has leaves that are usually floating on the water surface; whereas, Nuphar advena has leaves that stick out of the water.

* Per the USDA NRCS National Plants Data Center.

The Lady Bird Johnson Wildlife Center refers to the Yellow Pond-lily that looks like the Yellow Pond-lilies that I photographed on Lake Wingra as Nuphar lutea ssp. advena Click here. Although the flowers I photographed were all sitting on the surface of the water, other Yellow Pond-lily flowers farther off shore are a 3-5 inches above the water on stout stems.

Blooms June - August.

Other names include: Variegated Pond-lily, Variegated Yellow Pond-lily, Bullhead Pond-lily, Yellow Pond-lily, Yellow Cow lily, Cow-lily and Spatterdock.

Above: The Bull-head pond-lily has numerous yellow petals with multiple stamens (similarly shaped) arranged in a spiral around a yellow central column.

Above: Bull-head pond-lily oval to heart-shaped leaves floating in Lake Wingra in Madison, Wisconsin (6/08/23)

For more information on Bull-head pond-lily, visit Wikipedia.

Or, for information on Bull-head pond-lily visit the Wisconsin State Herbarium.

Or, for information on Yellow pond-lily visit the Wisconsin State Herbarium.

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