Torch of Bali Hardy ISG Water Lily — Tropical-Style Color on a Hardy Plant

The Torch of Bali Hardy ISG Water Lily (hardy × tropical cross) delivers bold, tropical-style flowers on a hardy water lily that returns each year. A vigorous perennial pond plant, Torch of Bali thrives in full sun and warm water, producing showy blooms on a broad pad display—ideal for lined ponds, wide containers, or earth-bottom shelves in any water garden.

Why Customers Love It

• Tropical look, hardy reliability (ISG = hardy × tropical)

• Heavy bloomer in warm water with steady tablet feeding

• Vigorous, wide habit that fills space beautifully in larger ponds

• Easy to grow once established—sun, shallow depth, and fertilizer

Plant Requirements (quick reference)

• Sun: Full sun, 6+ hours of strong midday light

• Container: 15–24"+ wide, shallow aquatic container (fabric pots preferred)

• Depth (soil surface → water surface): 6–14" (shallow = more flowers)

• Spread: ~5–6 ft with room

• Soil: Heavy loam topsoil only (no bagged mix, peat, “aquatic media,” or gravel)

• Hardiness: Generally hardy USDA Zones 6–12 (emerges later than standard hardies)

Care & Fertilizing (simple schedule)

• Fertilizer tablets: 6–8 tablets on the 1st & 15th of each month (May–September)

• Application: Push tablets 3–4" into the soil around (not on) the crown

• Water temperature: ISGs prefer ~70°F (21°C)+ at crown level to break dormancy and bloom well

• Maintenance: Trim spent blooms/yellow leaves; divide yearly if crowded to maintain peak flowering

Water Lily Planting Tips

• Plant shallow (6–10") to warm the crown and ramp up bud count

• Choose wide, shallow containers to let the rhizome run—more room = more flowers

• Keep surface water open and unshaded—pads are your solar panels for buds

• Avoid splashing/aeration directly onto pads; still water shows flowers best

• Start fertilizing lightly, then increase to ISG rates as growth surges

Do’s & Don’ts

Do

• Plant in full sun and heavy loam for best performance

• Fertilize twice monthly at ISG rates (1.5–2× standard hardy)

• Repot immediately on arrival; keep all parts wet while planting

Don’t

• ❌ Don’t use compost/peat mixes, “aquatic media,” or gravel (they float, rot, or smother crowns)

• ❌ Don’t let floating plants shade Torch of Bali—light drives flowering

• ❌ Don’t plant too deep (>14") if you want frequent flowers

• ❌ Don’t plant in cold spring water—ISGs stall below ~70°F at the crown

Helpful Links 

• Full Planting Instructions →

• Waterlily World® Fertilizer Tablets →

• PondGro™ Aquatic Loam Soil →

• Aquatic Containers →

• PondGro™ Fabric Pots →

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Shipped as: a live young adult plant (rhizome with leaves/lilypads). Plant immediately in heavy loam soil at the recommended shallow depth. Minor leaf yellowing from transit is normal and quickly replaced by new growth.