LOTUS

By Stan Skinger

Lotus are sun-loving plants and will not do well with less than 6 hours of direct sun. Lotus are winter hardy in Colorado if they are not allowed to freeze solid, and may be over-wintered in the same manner as your hardy lilies.

Lotus flowers range in size from the 2"- 3" miniatures, to plants with blooms over a foot in diameter, and all form seed pods sought after in flower arrangements.

Lotus are quite hardy, aggressive, can be invasive in pond culture, and may take over the pond if not contained. It is important to grow them in containers without holes.

Lotus grow in a linear fashion, with a sequence of a tuber producing a leaf, perhaps a flower, then beginning another tuber to repeat the cycle... Tuber, leaf, flower, tuber, leaf, flower, etc.
Each terminal point produces a single leaf and a single flower (if we are fortunate), and then sends out the next growth. Under the soil, the lotus growth is defined into two forms, runners and tubers. The summer 'runner' form is thin and long (to 24"+) .


The fall 'tuber' growth is thick and shorter (4"-10") and is up to 2" in diameter, tapering at the ends. With lotus plants, the most recent growth, called the 'tip', is notoriously brittle and sensitive to breakage, and it is crucial to the plant. Should it be broken or bruised, the lotus cannot grow and will die.

Due to the fragility of lotus tips, and the necessary 'banana' tuber form, lotus are best divided and/or shipped in the early spring. In Zone 5, this time is between the middle of March and the end of April when the tubers are still dormant, as they become quickly unmanageable once they start growing.

Varieties of Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) There are nearly 100 varieties of Nelumbo in existence today. Below are the common ones that are readily available.

Miniature varieties for small ponds or large containers (these varieties rise an average 1.5'-2.5' in height above soil) include: N. nucifera 'Momo Botan', with double flowers, deep rose petals and yellow centers. N. nucifera 'Shirokunshi' with pure white, tulip-shaped flowers. Medium varieties would be from 2.5'-5' in height. N. nucifer 'Empress' has a striking white, single flower with deep-pink edges. N. nucifera 'Roseum Plenum' has very large, double, pink-rose flowers.

Large Lotus can reach heights greater than 5'. Varieties in this category include: N. nucifera 'Mrs. Perry D. Slocum' has large flowers which change from deep pink to creamy yellow. N. nucifera 'Lutea' is the only native North American lotus. It has single large, yellow flowers. N. nucifera 'Perry's Giant Sunburst' has very large, yellow flowers.