Nymphaea, which belongs to the family Nymphaeaceae, is widespread and includes a large number of species with a beautiful appearance, and are often cultivated as ornamental plants. With the in-depth study of Nymphaea, it is found that Nymphaea not only have a history of traditional uses such as ornamental, edible and tea-making, but also have high medicinal value and potential for drug research and development. Its phytochemical research found that Nymphaea is rich in composition, mainly containing flavonoids and polyphenols and their derivatives, followed by volatile components, organic acids, alkaloids and other components, with antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-tumor, neuroprotective, hypoglycaemic, hepatoprotective and other pharmacological effects, the flavonoids and polyphenols play an important role in the efficacy of the components. A review of previous studies was conducted to summarize the chemical constituents and pharmacological activities of Nymphaea plants. This review was conducted to provide a reference for further research on Nymphaea plants and to elucidate the material basis for subsequent pharmacological research.