What Is a Bowl Lotus? Get to Know This Ornamental Aquatic Plant

Other Names for the Bowl Lotus

The bowl lotus is a type of lotus. Its Chinese scientific name is lotus (Nelumbo nucifera), and it is also popularly known as white lotus, furong, or lotus flower.

The Habits of the Bowl Lotus

The leaves of the bowl lotus are round and can either float on the water surface or rise above it. The underground stem is long and plump, and the flowers come in many colors, sometimes with colored patterns.

It likes sun and cannot tolerate shade, and it likes heat. Its suitable growing temperature is 20 to 30°C; when the temperature falls below 15°C, growth stops. At this time growth comes to a standstill.

It likes moisture and fears drying out, and it prefers a relatively stable still-water environment. During growth it should be protected from sudden bright sun after rain or from being struck by strong winds.

The bowl lotus grows rapidly in the heat of summer. Seeds sprout at 8°C-10°C, it blooms above 28°C, and when the temperature reaches 40°C growth stops, or the plant may even die.

The bowl lotus develops faster under strong light. The bowl lotus fears flooding; when the water is deep, the leaves rot easily.

It likes fertilizer but cannot tolerate too much of it: the base fertilizer should be sufficient, and top-dressing should be applied sparingly.

It is not demanding about soil; generally, fertile river mud or garden soil will do.

The Flower Language of the Bowl Lotus

Dainty and exquisite, the beauty of being confined