Lily pads are famous aquatic plants with big, round green leaves that float gracefully on the surface of ponds and lakes. Gardeners are eager to find plants that look like lily pads because they are so beautiful. Luckily, you can grow plants that look like lily pads whether you have an in-ground pond or not.
Overview of Lily Pads
First, let’s talk about what real lily pads are like before we talk about fake ones. True lily pads belong to the genus Nymphaea. About 50 species are in this group. The most well-known is the fragrant white water lily (Nymphaea odorata). The leaves of lily pads can get up to 12 inches wide. Their stems connect underwater to rhizomes buried in pond muck.
In addition to their charming leaves many lily pad species produce exquisite flowers in white, pink yellow, and blue hues. These plants thrive planted in full sun areas of ponds, lakes, and slow-moving streams. They serve as invaluable habitat and food sources for aquatic animals while gracing landscapes with elegance.
9 Plants That Emulate Lily Pads
If you want to recreate the magic of lily pads in your yard or indoor space. these 9 plants make splendid substitutes
1. Pilea Peperomioides
Also called the Chinese money plant or pancake plant, pilea peperomioides is a trendy houseplant known for its coin-shaped, emerald green leaves. Native to southern China, pilea resembles a miniature lily pad and is easy to grow indoors. It thrives in bright, indirect light and moderately moist soil.
2. Tropaeolum Majus
Commonly called nasturtium, Tropaeolum majus is a fast-growing annual that produces lush, rounded leaves on trailing stems. The leaves beautifully mimic lily pads, especially when planted near ponds or water features. Nasturtium comes in a variety of leaf colors andsizes and blooms in brilliant shades of red, orange, and yellow.
3. Pennywort
Floating pennywort (Hydrocotyle ranunculoides) is an aquatic plant with small, circular, scalloped-edged leaves that float on water like tiny lily pads. Invasive in some regions, pennywort works beautifully in backyard ponds and water features where it can be contained. For a non-invasive option, try creeping pennywort (Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides), which has similar leaves and spreads as a groundcover.
4. Dichondra
Dichondra is a perennial groundcover well-suited to warm climates like Florida and California. It develops low mats of fan-shaped, nearly circular leaves reminiscent of miniature lily pads. ‘Silver Falls’ and ‘Emerald Falls’ are two popular dichondra varieties perfect for cascading over container edges or softening walkways.
5. Marsilea
Commonly known as waterclovers, Marsilea plants include several aquatic and semi-aquatic species with leaves shaped like four-leaf clovers. M. mutica and M. quadrifolia are two species with lily pad-esque round leaves that float on the water’s surface. Use them to add charm to small backyard ponds.
6. Gotu Kola
Gotu kola, or Centella asiatica, is a perennial plant that grows in Asia and is known for its health benefits. It looks a lot like lily pads because its bright green, rounded leaves are paired with long, thin stems. Gotu kola thrives in moist, partly shaded sites.
7. Banana Plant
Despite its name, banana plant (Nymphoides aquatica) is not related to banana trees. This aquatic plant has wavy-edged, floating round leaves reminiscent of smaller lily pads. Yellow banana-like flowers emerge in summer. Banana plant grows readily in ponds and is hardy in USDA zones 7-10.
8. Leopard Plant
Sporting lush leaves sprinkled with purple spots, Farfugium japonicum ‘Aureomaculatum’ goes by the common name leopard plant. Its broad, rounded leaves evoke large lily pads. Leopard plant does best in part shade with consistent moisture. Use it to add exotic allure to shady beds and borders.
9. Water Poppy
The genus Hydrocleys includes water poppies. They have floating leaves that look like lily pads and big yellow flowers that look like poppies. H. nymphoides is a choice species for small backyard ponds. It can survive in zones 8–11 and grows into thickets.
Bring the Beauty of Lily Pads to Your Landscape
Lily pads lend ponds and lakes iconic beauty and provide crucial ecological benefits. While you may not be able to grow true lily pads everywhere, you can recreate their allure through clever plant substitutions. The 9 plants profiled here recreate the charm and elegance of lily pads in gardens across diverse climates and settings.
What Is Pilea Peperomioides?
The Chinese Money Plant, also called Pilea Peperomioides, has bright green leaves that look like pads. It is from China. A Norwegian missionary took some cuttings and brought them back to Europe, where he helped cultivate and propagate it into the popular plant you know today. Only in the last few years has this plant made its way into American homes, and it almost immediately won our hearts.
Floating lilypad esque foliage is what makes this plant so noteworthy!
There is a reason why they call this houseplant the Friendship Plant. Its because its the gift that keeps on giving. Its a self-propagating master. That’s why this plant spread so much in America and Europe.
This plant is probably one of the easiest plants to propagate, because..well..they do it on their own! Pilea shoot out pups or new plant babies from the mother plant or stem. You can easily snip them and place them in their own pot to grow roots, or leave them there to grow and thrive (aesthetically, this is up to you).
Quick Tip: These plant buddies make wonderful gifts to friends and family. Since this plant grows so fast, you will always have new plant babies. I would honestly recommend giving away a lot the pups or your own plant jungle might just end up being all Pilea (nothing wrong with that, but I think you catch my drift)!
The giant water lily is VICIOUS! The Green Planet BBC
FAQ
What is the plant that looks like lily pads?
This popular houseplant has round, lily-pad-shaped leaves that make it stand out. It is also known as the Chinese money plant. Pilea peperomiodes likes a bright spot, out of direct sunshine.
What is a plant that looks like a lily but isn’t?
Some flowers that resemble lilies in terms of shape and color include:Daylilies (Hemerocallis)Alstroemeria (Peruvian Lily)GladiolusTulips (especially certain varieties like Lily-flowered tulips)Crocosmia (Montbretia)Zephyranthes (Rain Lily)Erythronium (Dog’s Tooth Violet)These flowers come in various shades of red, .
What ground cover looks like tiny lily pads?
Dollarweed (Hydrocotyle spp. ), also known as pennywort, is a warm-season perennial weed. It gets the common name, dollarweed, from its silver–dollar-shaped leaves. The leaves of dollarweed are round, bright green, fleshy, and look like miniature lily pads measuring 1-2” in diameter with a scalloped edge.
What is the lily pad like houseplant?
Pilea Peperomioides, affectionately known as the “UFO plant” or “Chinese Money Plant,” instantly grabs attention with its unique appearance. Its round, pancake-shaped leaves, reminiscent of lily pads, are perched atop slender, often slightly drooping stems.
What plants resemble lily pads?
The Pilea peperomioides plant, which is also called the Pancake Plant or the Chinese Money Plant, is a cute houseplant that looks like little Lily Pads. 3. Giant Salvinia, whose botanical name is Salvinia molesta, is an invasive water plant with small, round leaves that look like lily pads. 4. Water Hyacinth Botanical Name: Eichhornia crassipes.
What is a good alternative to lily pads?
Nymphoides Aquatica, or Banana plant, is a great water plant that you should consider as an alternative to Lily Pads. This plant is native to the southeastern parts of the United States, including Maryland and Texas. The leaves of this plant are round, with a notch at the base where the stem connects to the leaf.
What are lily pads?
Lily Pads are stunning water plants that paint a picturesque image of a lush and healthy pond or lake. When most people think of these waterways, almost all will tell you that green and flowering Lily Pads are floating on the water.
Are lily pads bad for a pond?
Lily Pads are beautiful plants that can generally be grown in most environments, but there are some locations where they can harm the ecosystems in your area. To avoid this but still have your pond looking the way you dreamed it, you need to plant another water plant that looks like a Lily Pad.
Are Monstera lilies the same as peace lily?
Monstera plants are lovely indoor and outdoor plants that mimic the look of a Peace Lilies very well. When Monstera plants are small, they will not give you the Lily look you want in your garden, but as these plants mature and grow, they will soon become almost identical to the Peace Lily.
Are lily pads floating on the water?
When most people think of these waterways, almost all will tell you that green and flowering Lily Pads are floating on the water. You can have Lily Pads in your garden pond to help create a calming scene that is beautiful to look at and will be the star of your garden.