Sacred Lotus
Nelumbo nucifera
Aquatic Plants Difficulty: Moderate
📖 About this plant
A sacred aquatic plant revered in Hinduism and Buddhism for millennia. Its large, round, water-repellent leaves float on the surface while magnificent pink or white flowers rise above on sturdy stems. The iconic seed pods are widely used in floral arrangements. Every part of the plant has culinary, medicinal, or cultural significance.
🧑🌾 Care requirements
☀️
Light
Full sun (8+ hrs)
💧
Water
Submerged in pond or large container
💨
Humidity
N/A (fully aquatic)
🌡️
Temperature
20-35°C
🪴
Soil
Heavy loam or clay soil in aquatic planting baskets, 15-30 cm below water surface
🧪
Fertilizer
Aquatic plant fertilizer tablets pushed into the soil every 4-6 weeks during growing season
🌐 Common Names
HI
Hindi
कमल
BN
Bengali
পদ্ম
MR
Marathi
कमळ
TE
Telugu
తామర
TA
Tamil
தாமரை
GU
Gujarati
કમળ
UR
Urdu
کمل
KN
Kannada
ತಾಮ್ರ
OR
Odia
ତାମର
ML
Malayalam
താമര
PA
Punjabi
ਕਮਲ
AS
Assamese
কমল
📋 Plant facts
- 🌍 Origin
- South and East Asia — India, China, widely cultivated across Asia
- 📏 Max height
- 100-150 cm above water surface
- 📐 Spread
- 60-180 cm
- 🕰️ Bloom time
- Summer
- 🎨 Bloom color
- Pink, White
- 🍃 Foliage color
- Green
- ⏳ Lifespan
- Perennial
- 📈 Growth rate
- Moderate
- ☠️ Toxicity
- Non-toxic, all parts are edible — seeds, roots, leaves, and flowers used in Asian cuisine
- 🌱 Propagation
- Seed scarification and germination, division of rhizome tubers in early spring
🛡️ Health & Safety
🐾 Pet safe
✅ Non-toxic
Non-toxic, all parts are edible — seeds, roots, leaves, and flowers used in Asian cuisine
Common issues
- Aphids on stems and flowers
- Crown rot from poor drainage
- Invasive rhizome spread in small ponds
- Slugs and snails eating young leaves
💡 Care tips
- Needs at least 4-6 inches of water above the soil
- Start tuber indoors in spring in a warm sunny spot
- Flowers open in morning and close at night
- Blossoms last only 3-4 days but plant produces many
🪴 Add to My Plants
One click — added instantly. Watering every 7 days, fertilizing every 35 days.
