Wild water lily pads are rising and collecting into jostling crowds, seemingly waiting for the parade of the plant’s own beautiful flowers, fragrant water lilies (Nymphaea odorata).
Only a few of those water lilies are in bloom now, looking like candle-offerings to Astraea, the goddess of purity. Soon there will be hundreds of such offerings.
Although stunning in appearance, our native water lilies perform critically important functions in ponds, lakes, and slow-moving streams. Among other things, they’re a source of nectar for many unusual pollinators, provide shade and shelter for fish and other freshwater denizens, and prevent or retard high water temperatures that would encourage smothering layers of gooey algae. (Images taken at the WoodenBoat School campus in Brooklin, Maine, on June 4, 2024.)