Nymphaea Texas Dawn

Texas designated the Nymphaea Texas Dawn as the official state waterlily in 2011. All State Plants

H.C.R. No. 24 HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The State of Texas traditionally has recognized a variety of official symbols as tangible representations of the proud character and colorful heritage of the Lone Star State; select plant varieties, including the bluebonnet and the prickly pear cactus, have received official recognition, which has served to draw attention to the great biological diversity of our landscape; and

WHEREAS, Texas supports not only an abundance of land-based plants but also many aquatic species, and one particular type of water lily comes to the forefront as an especially worthy symbol of the state: Nymphaea Texas Dawn; and

WHEREAS, A hardy and exceptionally lovely plant, Nymphaea Texas Dawn is a hybrid that was created in 1985 by Texas resident Kenneth Landon, a world-renowned expert in the field of Nymphaea and the director of the International Water lily Collection in San Angelo; described as one of the most stunning yellow water lilies to be introduced in more than a century, N. Texas Dawn frequently blooms 10 inches above the surface of the water in clusters of six or more; in early spring, the base of the petals produces a light orange glow, and in late summer and fall, the flowers may suffuse with pink; and

WHEREAS, In 1990, N. Texas Dawn received the American Award from the International Waterlily & Water Gardening Society (IWGS); more recently, it was accorded top ranking among aquatic plants in the rigorous Texas Superstar program of the Texas Cooperative Extension of Texas A&M University, and the species is listed by other hybridizers as a parent for more than a dozen named waterlilies; and

WHEREAS, N. Texas Dawn has been featured prominently at the International Water lily Collection in San Angelo, which was established by Landon in 1988 in a little-used pond in Civic League Park; in the years since, the collection has become recognized as one of the most important exhibits of its kind in the world, and it was the focal point of the 2010 symposium of the IWGS; the presence of this widely admired facility has given Texas great prominence among water gardening enthusiasts, and it makes the designation of N. Texas Dawn as the state waterlily all the more appropriate; and

WHEREAS, This noteworthy species is the first waterlily to be named for Texas, and its unique beauty and resilient character indeed make it a fitting symbol for the Lone Star State; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the 82nd Legislature of the State of Texas 20 hereby designate Nymphaea Texas Dawn as the official State Waterlily of Texas.