Nymphaea Red Flare is true to its name. This tropical night-bloomer will not go unnoticed in any pond. Its robust deep red blooms seem to hover above the water in the evening twilight in a way that is almost mysterious. Tropical lilies are a must for any water garden despite that they won?t winter over in the cold regions. Most of the tropical lilies blooms are larger and in most cases, the colors are more intense than the hardy lilies. This beautiful tropical plant is an excellent bloomer, which can produce six or seven blooms at a time! It is also extremely prolific. The blooms are held high above the water. It is really one of the best all around red nights. This is an excellent plant for the beginners. Nymphaea Red Flare has magnificent, beautiful, dark crimson flowers with deep red sepals and maroon anthers. This plant is as red as a tropical gets. The flowers are held high above the water, about one foot high. The large, round and flat flowers bloom freely. The flowers are 7? - 10? across with 19 - 20 petals and a faint but pungent fragrance. They bloom from mid-summer to early fall. This herbaceous plant has lovely foliage even when not in bloom. The leaves are reddish bronze and heavily serrated on top with purple undersides. The copper pads with purplish spots are huge, 10? - 12? around with a spread of 5? - 6? when planted in a 3-5 gallons container. The wavy leaves grow more circular over time. Hardiness Zones : 9-11 (-5c/25f, 4c/40f) Nymphaea Red Flare will do best in medium to large pond, but they are suitable for bogs and water gardens too. The plants should be over-wintered in a zone 9 pond, and treated as an annual in zones north of zone 9. They prefer to be placed in full sun. This water lily likes a mildly acidic to neutral water and a water depth of about 12-18?. Water temperatures have to be at least 70 degrees or warmer both, day and night for tropical lilies to survive and bloom. Fluctuating weather conditions in some regions in early spring could cause tropical lilies to get too cold and die. It is wise to wait to put the tropical plants in the pond once the possibility of any cold temperatures is past.