Photo of the hardy water lily Nymphaea 'Colorado' taken at NYBG
Hardy water lilies will survive our New York City winters if they are planted below the freezing line in a water feature, while tropical water lilies need to be stored over the winter or treated as annuals.
Here is a selection of water lilies to try in your pond or container:
Name
Size
Flower Color
Use
Nymphaea 'Perry's Double White'
dwarf
white
containers/ small ponds
Nympaea 'Colorado'
medium
peach/ yellow
small and medium ponds
Nymphaea 'Mayla'
medium
hot pink
small and medium ponds
Nymphaea 'Pygmaea Helvola'
dwarf
lemon yellow
containers/ small ponds
Nymphaea 'Pink Grapefruit'
small
apricot pink with yellow
containers/ small ponds
Nymphaea 'Gloriosa'
dwarf
crimson red
containers/ small ponds
Nymphaea 'Indiana'
dwarf
dark pink with yellow
containers/ small ponds
Nymphaea 'Ray Davies'
small
light pink
containers/ small ponds
The pink and yellow flowers of hardy water lily Nymphaea 'Indiana'
The American Horticultural Society Complete Guide to Water Gardening by 
Encyclopedia of Water Garden Plants by 
The Water Garden Encyclopedia by 
