Nymphaea 'Islamorada' is a tropical viviparous lily with pale purple flowers punctuated by white dots in each petal that make it unique.

It is more cold tolerant, has a longer growing season, longer blooming season and is very free flowering day lily.

They have unusual colors.

You won't find a lot of blue or purple pond plants and you'll find almost zero hardy water lilies in those colors. Tropical hyacinths, however, come in every imaginable color, from hot pink to bright purple to flashy blue.

They have unique shapes.

Tropical water lilies often have large starbursts of petals that stand atop 6- to 12-inch stems, allowing them to tower over their hardy counterparts.

Because you don't have to replace your tropical water lilies every year, you don't have to stress about choosing the right ones. Just choose what feels right at the moment.