Pocket BotanistPlant guide
Sacred Lotus.
Nelumbo nucifera
Pronounced nel-UM-bo new-SIF-er-ah
Also known as Bean of India, East Indian lotus, Oriental lotus, Sacred Lotus
The sacred lotus is a stunning aquatic plant prized for its large, fragrant flowers and waxy, water-repellent leaves. It thrives in shallow, still water and holds deep cultural significance across many traditions. You'll find it grows from thick, fleshy rhizomes buried in the mud at the bottom of a pond.
At a glance
- Care level
- Moderate
- Plant type
- Aquatic perennial
- Light
- Full sun
- Indoor light
- direct
- Water
- Every 1 days
- Mature size
- 150cm tall
- Growth rate
- fast
- Hardiness
- USDA 5 to 10
- Bloom time
- Mid to late summer
Care
Keep your lotus in a sunny spot with at least six hours of direct light daily. Ensure the rhizome stays submerged in nutrient-rich soil and never let it dry out. Watch for yellowing leaves which can indicate a need for more fertilizer or too much shade.
- Watering
- The plant must remain submerged in water at all times.
- Feeding
- Use aquatic fertilizer tablets pushed deep into the soil during the growing season.
- Pruning
- Remove yellowing or dead leaves to keep the water clean.
- Repotting
- Divide and repot the rhizomes in early spring before growth begins.
- Soil
- Heavy clay or aquatic potting mix
- Soil pH
- 6.0 to 7.5
- Temperature
- 10 to 35°C
- Humidity
- 60 to 90%
Safety
- Pets
- This plant is non-toxic to cats and dogs.
How to identify it
- Large, circular, blue-green waxy leaves
- Fragrant, multi-petaled pink or white flowers
- Distinctive, cone-shaped woody seed head
- Leaves held high above the water surface
- Height
- 0.9 to 1.5m
- Spread
- 0.6 to 1.2m
- Leaves
- blue-green, deciduous
- Flowers
- pink, white, 15 to 30cm
- Fruit
- brown, Autumn
Growing it
- Propagation
- division, seed
- When to plant
- Spring
Science
- Family
- Nelumbonaceae
- Genus
- Nelumbo
- Order
- Proteales
- Class
- Magnoliopsida
Through the year
Taxonomy resolved against GBIF.
Is your sacred lotus looking unwell?
This page is a general guide. Pocket Botanist diagnoses problems from a photo of your actual plant, works out watering for your light and conditions, and reminds you when care is due.
This guide was generated with AI and checked against GBIF taxonomy. It is general information, not horticultural or veterinary advice. Read about how we build these guides.