overwintering water lillies in nothern climates

by Claudia
(Freeman SD)

I would like to know if it is possible to overwinter the lilly tubers in a bed of wood shavings or chips.
I dig up my Canna tubers in the fall ans store them in the wood shavings in my chicken barn. I was told I could do the same with my water lillie tubers. We live in South Dakota and overwintering them in the outdoor pond is out of the question.

Doug says that a tropical water lily has to be kept either actively growing or dormant without any form of really cold temperature. I suspect the temperature under those wood shavings is going to go a lot colder than the minimum 50F a tropical water lily requires.

So if a tropical water lily is stored even at 40F which would keep a canna alive, then it will rot over the winter.

Sorry - indoors or dead in the Dakotas seems to be the message here.