Nelumbo Nucifera 5 Seeds, Fun Aquatic Pond Water Plants, Pink Lotus

The Plant Attraction

$4.25 

Nelumbo Nucifera/ Pink
Also known as: Bowl Lotus, Sacred Lotus

This easy beautiful plant is an aquatic perennial and it is called sacred lotus in reference to the symbolic status the flower holds in Buddhism and Hinduism. It is native to Asia and Australia but cultivated all over the world now.
The large, cupped, fragrant, pink flowers (8-12” diameter) appear in summer. Each flower blooms for about three days, opening in the morning and closing at night each day.
The distinctive dried seed heads that will follow, resemble the spouts of watering cans, are widely sold throughout the world for decorative purposes and for dried flower arranging.
The flowers, seeds, young leaves, and "roots" (rhizomes) are all edible and are commonly used in Asian cooking.

Easily grown in organically rich loams in calm water margins in full sun. Winter hardy to USDA Zone 4 as long as the roots do not freeze (i.e., water does not freeze down to the roots). For water gardens or small ponds, plant roots in large containers or planting baskets with up to 24” of water covering the crowns. Container grown plants are easier to control and, if desired, to move to other locations. For naturalizing in larger ponds, roots may be anchored directly in the muddy bottom near the water margin where, once established, they will spread and colonize. In fall, containers submerged in very shallow water (less than 6”) should be moved into deeper water or brought indoors (basement, root cellar or other frost-free area) for overwintering.

Please note the difference:
The lotus is often confused with the water lilies (Nymphaea, sometimes called the "lotus"). In fact, several older systems call the lotus Nymphaea nelumbo or Nymphaea stellata. This is, however, evolutionary incorrect, as the lotus and water-lilies are practically unrelated. Far from being in the same family, Nymphaea and Nelumbo are members of different orders (Nymphaeales and Proteales respectively).

Lotus form waxy green bowl like foliage (to 2’ across) that generally rise above the water, as with the flowers are born on stalks (peduncles) above the water. Lotus (Nelumbo) produce large marble sized seeds and have been found to remain viable for several centuries! Lilies (Nymphaea) on the other hand, its foliage tend to 'float' on the water surface and the leaves generally are flat. The seeds of Nymphaea are very small.

Overall this species is fun to grow, maintenance free and makes for a great container plant on porches and outdoor sitting areas.

This offer is for 5 seeds.