Weeds of Australia - Fact Sheet

Top Scientific Name Family Common Names Origin Naturalised Distribution Notes

Scientific Name

Nymphaea alba L.

Family

Nymphaeaceae

Common Names

European white waterlily, waterlily, white lotus, white water lily, white water-lily, white waterlily

Origin

Native to north-western Africa (i.e. northern Algeria, Morocco and Tunisia), throughout Europe, western Asia (i.e. northern Iran, Iraq, Israel, Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan and southern Russia) and the Indian sub-continent (i.e. northern India).

Naturalised Distribution

Naturalised in some parts of south-eastern Australia (i.e. in inland New South Wales, in southern Victoria and in south-eastern South Australia).

Notes

White waterlily (Nymphaea alba) is regarded as an environmental weed in Victoria. This species has escaped cultivation and become an occasional weed of water bodies in the temperate regions of Australia. It is listed as an environmental weed in Hume City and as a potential environmental weed or "sleeper weed" in Frankston City in Victoria.

Note: The typical form of this species has white flowers, however naturalised populations may include hybrids or cultivars with cream, pink, red, or orange flowers.