Oh the pain of it!

[El Jefe]

I was looking at my lillies and noticed that the Odorata that I brought from the lake was very full and had LARGE Pads. It was looking very healthy. I waded in to check the pot and what did I find? the Odorata had jumped the pot and imbedded itself in  the muck at the bottom of the pond. There it got large and happy. I spent a good deal of time digging that huge tuber out. once I had all the pieces I had a chance to look at it. Man was it healthy. Killing it off just seemed wrong but I could not risk it taking over the pond eventually. I know what the lake looks like. Did not want the same for my pond.

  :'(

Andy

[Ky Kim]

Good think you did wade in.  I have one that I can see from my deck that has jumped its pot and about to reach the bottom of the pond.  I'll have to get ahold of that one soon.

Kim

[marla]

I think that's what I need for a while to fill up this new lily pond, got bigger then I wanted, and now I don't think I will have enough to fill it.

[Jerry]

I wonder if it would have damaged the liner if left alone?  It sounds like a plant i would like to own, but well encapsuled.

[El Jefe]

This is the most common of all water lillies (I am told) and it can take over a pond quickly. It made a mess out of the lake down the road. Not sure it would pierce a liner but given it's growth rate it may if it gets a good foothold and finds a fold to press against. It is a rampant grower and it had a huge healthy tuber pushing up new lillies. I hated to do it, I even thought about leaving it. My next thought is I may plant my other lilies directly into the bottom. it is obviously very fertile in there. What are the odds my other Hardy's will overwhelm my pond?

Andy

[Teresa]

I once helped a friend clean his pond and he had one that had taken over everything.  It had to be pulled out in one piece and it was 6' across and a solid mass of tubers.  It had eaten at least 7 terra cotta pots that had once held other lilies and plants and its roots were so thick and strong that they had to be cut with a machete.  It took 4 adults to pull that mass out of his tiny, little pond.  What a mess.