Species › Plants › Yellow Pond Lily

Yellow Pond Lily

Nuphar lutea

CommonPlant
Illustration of Yellow Pond Lily (Nuphar lutea)

Yellow Pond Lily is a large aquatic plant with round floating leaves and globe-shaped yellow flowers that rise above the water's surface. It grows in ponds, slow rivers, and lakes across northern North America. The rhizomes are an important food for beaver, muskrat, and moose, and the submerged portions provide shelter for fish and aquatic invertebrates.

Habitat
Ponds, slow rivers, and lakes with muddy bottoms across northern North America
Diet
Rhizomes and leaves eaten by beaver, muskrat, and moose; shelter for fish
How common
Common

Best time to see a Yellow Pond Lily

The best time to see a Yellow Pond Lily is April–July, when about 61% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 19,568 research-grade iNaturalist observations.

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