Most people think flowers need sunlight to open—but not all do. These little exquisite monsters actually only bloom at night. They will open after sundown and remain open until early morning. We came around 9:50PM and the gardens were supposed to close at 10PM. It was absolutely a pleasant surprise although I didnt exactly prepare for night shooting but was thankful that I had the 50mm1.2L with me. It was a bit difficult to maneuver around with a fixed lens while trying to beat the closing gates. I actually had someone hold on to the back of my t-shirt to keep me from falling into the pond :-)

Tropical water lilies are usually classified as being day blooming, night blooming, viviparous or non-viviparous. The day bloomings come in a wide spectrum of colors: purple blue red pink peach orange white yellow or a mixture of some or all the colors. In Eastern cultures, the waterlily is the only flower that blooms and produces fruit simultaneously. This unique characteristic symbolizes universality. In a religious context it also signifies Buddha and enlightenment.