Water lily Coloring Pages

How It Got Its Name and English Name

In Japanese, Water lily is often written with characters that mean "water lotus." But the official Japanese characters mean "sleeping lotus." That is because its flowers open in the morning and close (go to sleep) in the evening. It does this every day for a few days, so it looks like it is sleeping! In English, it is called "Water lily," which means a lily that blooms in the water. People all over the world love this flower that brightens up the water.

When You Can See It

You can see Water lily flowers during the warm months from May to October. The best time to see them is in the middle of summer, from July to August. Most types open their flowers in the morning and close them in the afternoon. So if you want to see them open, go early in the morning or around lunchtime! There are also some warm-weather types of Water lily that bloom at night.

Where You Can See It

Water lily grows in warm places all around the world. In Japan, you can see them in park ponds, shrine gardens, and wild ponds. They like calm water. Today, many people love growing them at home in small outdoor fish tubs or tiny water gardens!

Food and Living Conditions (What It Eats)

Water lily is a plant. It spreads its roots in the mud at the bottom of the water. It gets water and good food from the mud to grow big. To make many flowers bloom, it needs good soil food and lots of bright sunlight. A sunny water surface with no shade is the best food and home for Water lily!

How Long It Lives

Water lily is a plant that lives for many years. When it gets cold in autumn and winter, the leaves and flowers on the water wither away. But the roots deep in the mud are still alive and sleeping! When spring comes and the water warms up, new leaves and flower buds grow up to the surface again. If the water stays nice, it will keep blooming every year and live for a long time.

Other Fun Features

The special thing about Water lily is that its leaf always has a deep V-shaped slit! Lotus plants look similar, but their leaves do not have this slit, and water rolls off lotus leaves like magic. Water lily leaves do not roll water away. Instead, they float flat right on top of the water. Also, Water lily blooms right above the water surface. This is very different from lotus flowers, which grow up tall on stems high above the water!

Sharp Petal Shapes and Color Blending

The petals of the Water lily have a lovely sharp point at the tips.

• How to use your pencil: Move your colored pencil smoothly from the base to the tip. This makes the petals look sharp and elegant!

• Make it pop out: Keep the center of the flower white or light yellow. Then, slowly make the pink, red, or blue-purple darker toward the outside and tips. Your flower will look like it is glowing from the inside!

Floating Leaves and the V-Shaped Cut

The trick for Water lily leaves is to make them look like they are floating softly on the water.

• Show off the V-cut: Trace the V-shaped slit in the leaf with a slightly darker green. This makes it look just like a real Water lily!

• Make it look wet: Water lily leaves look soft and wet. Use a deep blue-green to show the cool, wet leaf texture!

Magical Water and Shining Light

Coloring the water around the flowers and leaves will make your picture look super cool!

• How to color the water: Gently color side to side between the leaves using light blue and emerald green.

• Add shadows: Draw a thin shadow right under the flowers and leaves with dark blue or purple. It will really look like they are floating on top of the water!

Fun Details Like Frogs and Waterdrops

A frog riding on a Water lily shows how lively the water world is!

• Shiny frog skin: Leave a tiny spot of white on the frog's back and eyes. This makes it look shiny and wet!

• Realistic waterdrops: If there are waterdrops on the leaves, put a tiny shadow under them and leave a white spot on top. They will shine like real sunlight on water!

The Name Means "Sleeping Flower"

The Japanese kanji for Water lily means "sleeping lotus." It opens its flowers in the bright daytime when the sun is out, and closes them in the evening. It got this name because it looks like it is sleeping!

What is the biggest difference from the lotus?

They look a lot like lotuses, but you can tell them apart right away by looking at the leaves! A Water lily leaf floats right on top of the water. Its main feature is a deep V-shaped slit in the leaf.

The flowers bloom in different spots, too!

Lotus flowers grow tall stems high above the water. But Water lily flowers bloom low down, right at the water's surface. The flowers reflect on the water, making a very cool and beautiful view!

A flower loved by a famous painter

A world-famous painter named Claude Monet loved the Water lily pond in his garden. He is famous for painting many Water lily pictures throughout his life. People still love seeing them in art museums today!