Deep red waterlilies like, Nymphaea Almost Black (left), Nymphaea Black Princess, and Nymphaea Burgundy Princess (photo right) all perform well as flowers up above the Mason Dixon line. The deeper the Red the more sun bleaching that occurs and if you live really far south like my friend Tim Davis, the dark reds are almost flammable and perform poorly in the strong southern sun. I love this.
Why? Because the south gets to enjoy so many tropical water lilies for almost twice the growing season of the north, it is nice to have something easier for us. Now you can grow red water lilies in the south, just remember that there are steps to avoid totally burning your deep reds. If you have an area of the pond that might get a few hours of shade that might be a good trial area for the deep red though the harsh summer mid-afternoon sun will be directly overhead.
The Almost Black water lily is not the most productive waterlily in terms of blooms but has nice color and can be a large lily when potted and fertilized correctly. The Black Princess is somewhat less large and has deep merlot coloration. The burgundy princess is a small lily compared to the others with a more compact spread, pad, and flower.
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