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Nelumbo lutea
Nelumbo lutea Willd.
American Lotus, Yellow Water Lotus, Yellow Lotus
Nymphaeaceae (Water-Lily Family)
Synonym(s): Nelumbium luteum, Nelumbo pentapetala
USDA Symbol: NELU
USDA Native Status: L48 (N), CAN (N)
An aquatic plant with fragrant, pale yellow flowers and bowl-shaped leaves borne on stalks above the water.
This member of the Water Lily group is recognized by large, umbrella-like leaves and the inverted, cone-like structure in the middle of the flowers. It covers extensive areas along the Mississippi River from Ontario, Iowa, and Wisconsin southward.
Plant Characteristics
Duration: PerennialHabit: Herb
Leaf Arrangement: Alternate
Breeding System: Flowers Bisexual
Fruit Type: Aggregate
Size Notes: Up to about 6 feet tall. Leaves up to about 2 feet across.
Leaf: Green
Fruit: Brown
Bloom Information
Bloom Color: YellowBloom Time: May , Jun , Jul , Aug , Sep
Distribution
USA: AL , AR , CT , DE , FL , GA , IA , IL , IN , KS , KY , LA , MA , MD , ME , MI , MN , MO , MS , NC , NE , NJ , NY , OH , OK , PA , SC , TN , TX , VA , WICanada: ON
Native Distribution: Southern Ontario, Iowa, and Minnesota to southern New England and New York; south to Florida, Cuba, Jamaica, and Hispaniola; west to Texas; south through Mexico to Honduras.
Native Habitat: Still water
Growing Conditions
Water Use: HighLight Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Wet
CaCO3 Tolerance: Medium
Aquatic: yes
Cold Tolerant: yes
Heat Tolerant: yes
Soil Description: Any pond bottom or very large submerged pot.
Conditions Comments: Its saucer-shaped leaves are more than a foot in diameter and often rise out of the water. The lotus flowers are yellowish white with rich gold centers. They open in the morning and close by late afternoon and reopen the following day. Prepare to give aqautic plant lots of space to spread and reproduce.
Benefit
Use Food: The large tuberous roots, the size of a human arm were baked like sweet potatoes, the leaves were eaten like spinach and the seeds were prepared to be eaten like nuts or ground into flour.The pods are quite striking and often used in flower arrangements. (Lamb/Rhynard)
Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Fragrant Flowers: yes
Interesting Foliage: yes
Deer Resistant: Moderate
Propagation
Propagation Material: Root DivisionFind Seed or Plants
Find seed sources for this species at the Native Seed Network.
National Wetland Indicator Status
Region: | AGCP | AK | AW | CB | EMP | GP | HI | MW | NCNE | WMVE |
Status: | OBL | OBL | OBL | OBL | OBL | OBL | OBL |
From the National Organizations Directory
According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - Austin, TX
Delaware Nature Society - Hockessin, DE
Native Seed Network - Corvallis, OR
Mt. Cuba Center - Hockessin, DE
Wildflower Center Seed Bank
LBJWC-1286 Collected 2009-08-07 in Brazoria County by Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower CenterBibliography
Bibref 318 - Native Texas Plants: Landscaping Region by Region (2002) Wasowski, S. & A. WasowskiBibref 1262 - Plants of Carolinian Canada (1994) Lamb, Larry and Gail Rhynard
Bibref 1294 - The Midwestern Native Garden: Native Alternatives to Nonnative Flowers and Plants An Illustrated Guide (2011) Adelman, Charlotte and Schwartz, Bernard L.
Search More Titles in Bibliography
Web Reference
Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter
Additional resources
USDA: Find Nelumbo lutea in USDA PlantsFNA: Find Nelumbo lutea in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Nelumbo lutea
Metadata
Record Modified: 2023-02-20Research By: NPC