IN PHOTOS: Whimsical Water Lilies Bloom In Okanagan, Kamloops

Some ponds, lakes and marshes in Kamloops and the Okanagan are looking festive this summer as fragrant, showy water lilies are blooming in pinks, whites and yellows.

Found on the surface of slow-moving water bodies, the cup-like flowers are attached to floating, waxy lily pads, creating dreamy landscapes.

The lily pads are connected by a stalk to a network of creeping vines under the water, according to Britannica.

A Penticton wildlife photographer captured a blue heron among snow white water lilies in August.
SUBMITTED / Lilian Blashko

There are several species of the freshwater flowering plants in BC, including the pygmy, small white and yellow water lilies. They’re food for fish and wildlife, and open and close in the mornings and evenings to attract pollinators.

One lily species, called the fragrant water lily, is an introduced species causing problems in some provincial waterways, according to the Invasive Species Council of BC.

The fragrant waterlily is native to eastern North America and sold in garden centres in BC. It has escaped gardens established in nature waterbodies where its thick roots are choking out native aquatic species and impeding recreation.

Are you finding beautiful natural wonders in your neck of the woods? Send photos to news@infonews.ca.