Grow lotus in full sun, with the soil under water all season. Lotus is Nelumbo. Leaves and flowers stand above the pond, so it is not a water lily.
Give it full sun and soil that stays under water
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Light | Full sun, at least six hours a day | Do not site it in shade and expect a full set of standing leaves and bloom |
| Water | Keep the soil under water all season so the rhizome never dries | Do not let the pot dry, even once, once growth starts |
| Soil | Heavy loam or clay that stays wet in a pond or a closed pot | Do not use a light mix that floats, and do not grow it in a dry bed |
| Feed | Start an aquatic fertilizer after the first standing leaves rise above the water | Do not fertilize while only small leaves still float |
| Spread | Keep the plant in a closed pot so runners stay on your shelf | Do not plant it loose in an open pond if you want open water |
Lotus wants all-day sun and wet soil. The first leaves may float; later leaves and the flowers stand on stiff stalks. That standing habit is the plant, not a pad that rides the surface. [1] sacred lotus uses that same wet, sunny shelf as a pink or white flower three to six feet tall. American lotus uses the same sun and standing water as a cream to yellow flower. Both plants share the same keep-alive. Neither one is a dry border plant. [2] Begin fertilizer only after standing leaves appear, because a young sprout burns easily if you feed it while the first leaves still lie on the water. [3]
How much sun does lotus need?
Give it full sun, at least six hours a day. Shade thins the standing leaves and cuts bloom.
When do I fertilize it?
Wait until the first leaves stand above the water, then use an aquatic fertilizer. Do not feed while only small leaves still float.
Keep it in a pot, and never dump extras in a lake
Lotus runs by thickened rhizomes. In open mud it can fill a shallow pond in a few seasons, so keep the plant in a closed pot and lift any runner that jumps the rim. Compost extras on dry ground. Never toss a piece into a lake, ditch, or storm drain. [4] Sacred lotus is restricted in some states, so read the tag and your local list before you buy. American lotus is native, and it still needs the same pot if you want open water beside it.
- Keep the plant in a closed pot, not loose in the mud of a mixed pond.
- Trim a runner that climbs the rim before it roots outside the pot.
- Compost extras on dry ground. Do not dump them in a lake or storm drain.
- Check whether sacred lotus is restricted where you live before you add it to a pond that overflows.
Will it take over a pond?
Yes, if you plant it loose in the mud. Keep it in a closed pot, trim runners that jump the rim, and never dump extras in a lake.
After frost, cut dead stems above the water
Let the leaves brown and die back on their own. Stems are hollow. If you cut a green stem below the water, water runs down into the tuber and that piece can rot. After frost, cut the dead stems a few inches above the water. Then sink the pot so ice cannot reach the tuber, or move the pot into a cold garage and keep the soil wet.
- Wait until the leaves are brown and dry. Do not cut green stems.
- Cut dead stems a few inches above the water, never below the water line.
- Sink the pot below the ice, or store it cold with the soil still under water. Raise it again in spring after frost risk has passed.
Can I cut the stems in fall?
Wait until they are brown. Cut them above the water. A green cut below the water can rot the tuber.
Not a water lily — and not parrot's beak
A round green pad on the water is often a water lily. Water lily leaves and flowers float. Lotus leaves and flowers stand above the water on stiff stalks, and the seed head looks like a showerhead — see How to Grow Water Lily.
A shop tag that says lotus can also be parrot's beak, Lotus, a hanging-basket pea with silver leaves — see How to Grow Parrot's Beak. Chinese waterlily on a pond tag is often still this plant, Nelumbo, not Nymphaea. Yellow pond lily, or spatterdock, is Nuphar, a notched pad, not a standing lotus leaf.
Is lotus a water lily?
No. Water lily is Nymphaea. Its pads and flowers float. Lotus is Nelumbo. Its leaves and flowers stand above the water.
Set lotus in full sun with water over the soil, and leave green stems uncut.
FAQ
Is American lotus a different plant?
American lotus is Nelumbo lutea, the yellow native. Sacred lotus is Nelumbo nucifera. Use the same sun and standing water for both.
Is bowl lotus a different plant?
Bowl lotus is a smaller pot of the same plant, not a second keep-alive. It still wants full sun and soil under water.
Can I grow lotus indoors?
A sunny patio bowl can work. A dim windowsill will not. The soil still has to stay under water.
Can I eat the rhizome?
Parts of lotus are eaten in some kitchens, but ornamental pond tubers are not a kitchen crop. Do not treat a pond pot as a vegetable bed.
Is sacred lotus allowed where I live?
Some states restrict sacred lotus. Read your local list, and never dump extras in a lake even where it is legal to grow.
Will koi tear it up?
Goldfish usually leave it alone. Large koi can root in the soil. Set the pot so the soil stays covered, and use a rock cap if fish dig.
Does lotus come back after winter?
Yes, if ice never reached the tuber and the soil stayed wet. New leaves start from the tuber in warm water in spring.
Can I start it from seed?
Yes. Start with seed on Growing Lotus from Seed.
Related guides
Recommended plants
References
- [1] NC State Extension Gardener -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/nelumbo-nucifera/ - [2] NC State Extension Gardener -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/nelumbo-lutea/ - [3] International Waterlily & Water Gardening Society -
https://iwgs.org/lotus-care-sheet/ - [4] Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center -
https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=NELU
This note is part of Nelumbo Guides.
More first-season notes by plant are gathered in How to Grow Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors