You have to go out with a flashlight to see this plant because it is a night-blooming tropical waterlily. The large flowers are bright violet red. The leaves are mahogany. This cultivar is an old favorite, dating to 1938. Waterlilies are rhizomatous aquatic plants with about 50 species occurring in the wild, mostly found in the tropics of the Northern Hemisphere. They are characterized by round notched leaves that lie flat on the water, and flowers with numerous petals produced at the end of a long lax stem floating just above the water surface. In the center of each flower is a cluster of showy stamens. Waterlilies have been cultivated since at least 2000 B.C. and are divided into hardy hybrids, tropical day-blooming, and tropical night-blooming. Waterlilies need full sun to flower and must be anchored in mud as they are not free floating.