Spatterdock (Yellow Pond Lily) – Nuphar lutea

Flat lake stagnant with pondweed,
pickerelweed, dollar bonnet,
maidencane, spatterdock—

there’s no compass here.
The toothy dredge crackles along
the bottom, uprooting snails

By Aubrie Marrin 

The heart shaped mature leaves float on the surface of slow moving waters, in ponds, lakes and slow moving rivers. Beginning in May and lasting through to September the flowers rise on an emergent thick, green stalk above the water. After the flowers are fertilized they sink below the surface for close to ten days, when the seed head then rises above the surface of the water and explodes…broadcasting the seeds at a distance from the parent. The exploding seedpod is part of why the plants one common name is Spatter-dock!

Most parts of the plant served some purpose in life…food, and medicine being the most prominent uses. The Native Americans had many uses for the root, seeds, flowers, and leaves. In herbal medicine the Shuswap Indians of British Columbia would make an infusion of the mashed roots for application to back pain, rheumatism, and sores. The Thompson Indians (of the same area) would mix the dried leaves with grease and use this ointment applied to swellings, bites, and infections.

The roots are anaphrodisiac (blunting the libido), and were used among the Abnaki men as infusion to inhibit sexual drives and desires for up to 2 months. Containing steroids the roots would be used for sexual irritability, blood diseases, and chills. It was also a folk remedy for infertility.

Check out the earlier post on this plant.

American White Waterlily – Nymphaea odorata

American White Waterlily

If you have forgotten water lilies floating
On a dark lake among mountains in the afternoon shade,
If you have forgotten their wet, sleepy fragrance,
Then you can return and not be afraid.

By Sara Teasdale

This aquatic plant is native to eastern North America from Newfoundland to British Columbia, south to California, Florida, Mexico and Cuba. It likes sluggish, slow moving streams, rivers and pools. It has large round, floating leaves that are nearly 10 inches across, and one white or pink, fragrant flower that also floats on the water. These beautiful flowers open in the early hours of the morning and usually close by noon.

The Native American of the east used all parts of the A ma ye du hi (Cherokee) for something! The root was dried and powdered and placed in the mouth for ulcers, juice of the root was used for a cough medicine, and a poultice of the boiled root was utilized for swellings. The leaves were used in cold medicines, for the treatment of grippe, and used for limb swellings.

The roots are used much like potatoes, and the seeds can be cooked also, and added to breads. In nature many creatures use them for food, from bees, flies, and beetles to butterflies and moths, to turtle, muskrats, beavers and even white tailed deer.

If these are deliberately planted care must be given to control factors, as they can easily over grow small ponds! In Washington it is listed as a Class C noxious weed!

Follow the link to read a previous post on Waterlilies.

Lotus at Longwood Gardens

Tropical Day flowering Water-Lily Tropical Day flowering Water-Lily

American White Waterlily – Nymphaea odorata

These flowers are scented with a tint of rose, being the strongest in the morning. The flower buds (before the flowers open) are eaten cooked as a vegetable or pickled. The young flowers and leaves can be added to a salad, soup, or stew.

American White Waterlily - pink type

The Eastern Native American used it as food and medicine. The roots were used as a poultice for tumors, it was used internally as well as externally. The leaves and flowers were used as a cooling compress

American White Waterlily

Yellow Pond Lily or Spatterdock – Nuphar lutea

This aquatic plant has large floating leaves, and yellow, globular flowers. It is a perennial which is considered Endangered in Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, and Ohio.

This lily was a source of food and medicine for the Native Americans. These flowers are reported to have a brandy like scent. Native Americans consumed the starchy rootstocks as boiled or roasted vegetables and harvested the seed for grinding into flour

The roots are anaphrodisiac, anodyne, antiscrofulatic, astringent, cardiotonic, demulcent and sedative. Caution should be exercised because large doses are potentially toxic.

They are very important for the ecosystem since they provide shade for fish and cover from predators. They are a home for tons of tiny creatures, like the bonnet worm, which are then eaten by fish. Also, larger animals like beavers, muskrats, and deer eat different parts of the plants