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Nelumbo nucifera
Also called East Indian Lotus, Oriental Lotus, Lotus, Lotusroot, Bean Of India
In Singapore: Lotus, Teratai, Sacred Lotus, East Indian Lotus, 莲, 荷花, Indian lotus (Naturalised in Singapore)
Sacred lotus is a large aquatic perennial, one of two species in its genus, grown for its showy pink or white flowers and edible rhizomes. It needs warm, sunny conditions and a pond or container with its roots submerged in nutrient-rich mud.
Nelumbo nucifera, also known as Padma (Sanskrit: पद्म, romanized: Padma, lit. 'Lotus') or Kamala (Sanskrit: कमल, lit. 'Lotus'), sacred lotus, pink lotus, Indian lotus, or simply lotus, is one of two extant species of aquatic plant in the family Nelumbonaceae. It is sometimes colloquially called water lily, though this more often refers to members of the family Nymphaeaceae. The lotus belongs in the order Proteales.
The sacred lotus grows in water about 2.5 m (8 ft) to 30 cm (12 in) deep. In colder climates, a deeper water level protects the tubers more effectively, and improves growth and flowering. The sacred lotus germinates at temperatures above 13 °C (55 °F). Most varieties are not naturally cold-hardy, but may readily adapt to living outdoors year-round in USDA hardiness zones 6 through 11 (with some growers having success in zones as low as 4 or 5); the higher the zone's number, the greater the adaptability of the plants. In the growing season (from April to September in the northern hemisphere), the average daytime temperature needed is 23 to 27 °C (73 to 81 °F). In regions with low light levels in winter, the sacred lotus has a period of dormancy. The tubers are not cold-resistant if removed from water and exposed to the air; but when kept underwater in soil, the energy-rich tubers can overwinter temperatures below 0 °C (32 °F).
[Contains information from Leaf Area Index (LAI) and Heritage Trees from data.gov.sg (National Parks Board), made available under the terms of the Singapore Open Data Licence version 1.0]
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Nelumbo nucifera by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
