Nelumbo nuciferaSacred Lotus

Nelumbo nucifera holds its leaves clear of the water rather than floating them, which is what separates a lotus from a water lily at fifty paces. The leaves are large, round and blue-green, shedding water in beads, and the fragrant flowers stand above them on their own stems.

It is planted in still water between 0.3 and 1.5 metres deep and travels through the mud on thick rhizomes, so it needs either a generous basin or a physical container to work within.

Specifications

• Height1 to 1.5 metres above the water surface
• WidthSpreading indefinitely by rhizome unless contained
• Native toAsia, from India and China through Southeast Asia, and northern Australia
• FoliageLarge, round, blue-green leaves held clear of the water on stout stalks; deciduous, dying back in the cool season
• Growth rateFast

Conditions

• SoilRequires a deep, heavy loam or clay base beneath 0.3 to 1.5 metres of still water
• LightFull sun
• WaterPermanent standing water; the plant is fully aquatic
• ClimateThrives in tropical, subtropical and warm temperate regions

Additional Features

• FlowersLarge fragrant pink or white flowers held above the foliage through summer
• UsesOrnamental lakes, formal water basins, cultural and memorial gardens and constructed wetlands
• SpacingPlant one rhizome per 2 to 3 square metres of water surface, or one per container
• Low MaintenanceCut back dead foliage at dormancy and divide contained plantings every two to three years
• Pest ResistanceGenerally sound, with aphids gathering on emerging leaves
• Cultural SignificanceSacred in Buddhism and Hinduism, and the national flower of both India and Vietnam
• Seasonal AppealA long summer display of foliage and flower, followed by decorative seed heads

The Sacred Lotus is the defining plant of a formal water feature, and it repays the containment it requires.