Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Aquatics
Tree
Origin
Southern Asia
Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Central United States, South-Central United States
Types
Nelumbo nucifera
-
Number of Varieties
1003
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Ponds
bottomlands, Depression on prairies, ditches, Floodplains, Riverbanks, stream banks, Swamps
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-124-9
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-3
9-1
Sunset Zone
21,22
1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
30.00 cm1,220.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
90.00 cm1,220.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Red, Pink, Light Pink, Hot Pink, Rose, Coral
Yellow, Brown
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Black
Leaf Color in Spring
Lime Green, Sea Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Lime Green, Sea Green
Green, Light Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Lime Green, Sea Green
Yellow, Light Yellow, Tan
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Orbicular
Oval with a pointed tip and fine teeth along their edges
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Poorly Drained
Average
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site
Wet Site, Pollution, Soil Compaction
Where to Plant?
Container, In Water, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
From Rhizomes, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Low
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires 4 to 8 inches of water above the soil line
Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Clay, Loam
Clay, Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Poorly Drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Cut away fading foliage
Prune in the late winter or spring, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Shape and thin as needed
Fertilizers
20N–4.4P–16.6K at 20-d intervals
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, No need to fertilize every year
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Caterpillars
Aphids, Red blotch, Sawfly Larvae
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Pollution, Soil Compaction, Wet Site
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single, Double, Semi-Double
-
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Bold
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Beetles, Insects
-
Allergy
Constipation
Asthma
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
Promotes healthy skin, Provides herbal hair care
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Erosion control, Wildlife
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antidiarrhoeal, Astringent, Cancer, Cardiotonic, Febrifuge, Hypotensive, Resolvent, Stomachic, Tonic
-
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves, Root, Seeds, Stem
Whole plant
Other Uses
Leaves are used to wrap small parcels, Roasted seed is used as a coffee substitute, Root is used as a vegetable
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Tropical, Water Gardens
Feature Plant, Shade Trees
Botanical Name
NELUMBO nucifera
BETULA nigra
Common Name
East Indian Lotus, Sacred Lotus
River Birch
In Hindi
पवित्र कमल
River Birch
In German
Heiliges Lotus
Fluss Birch
In French
Lotus Sacré
Birch river
In Spanish
loto sagrado
river Birch
In Greek
ιερή Lotus
ποταμός Birch
In Portuguese
Lotus sagrado
river Birch
In Polish
Sacred Lotus
Rzeka Birch
In Latin
sacra Lotus
Betula
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Proteales
Fagales
Family
Nymphaeaceae
Betulaceae
Genus
Abelia
Betula
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
Nelumbonaceae
-
Number of Species
53
1
27800
👆🏻