Blue lotus (Nymphaea nouchali)

Product description

The flowers of this water lily have a bright blue colour and a yellow centre. In nature, they are pollinated by bees and this is done in a special way. On the first day, the stamens face outwards and pollen sticks to the bee's body. On the second day, the flower's stamens are folded inwards towards a pool of liquid in the centre. The bees are still trying to reach the nectar, but slip and fall into the liquid. The first day's pollen is flushed into the bees' pool and is released to the pistils. The bees will drown or they escape and then go in search of new nectar. With this distinct form of pollination, the blue lotus is not a carnivorous plant, but the species is considered a precursor of carnivorous plants. 

The species is found in lakes, marshes and rivers in southeast Asia. In standing water that is up to 1.5 metres deep. The leaf floats on or just above the water and has an upright, wavy leaf edge. It grows to about 20 cm and has a waxy coating to repel water and dirt. It grows from an underground rhizome that is eaten in Asia after good cooking. It is the national flower of Bangladesh and Sri Lanka and is thus quite well-known there. 

The plant can be kept in a pond or large tank/tub, where it is important that the rhizome does not freeze. If this is successful, the plant can also be kept outside in winter. The leaves will then die off in autumn and reappear from the rhizome in spring. It is also possible to overwinter the plant frost-free or keep it as a house or aquarium plant. 

The minimum water depth should be 30 cm, with 60 cm being optimal. You can use pond or water lily soil for the bottom and cover it with a layer of sand if necessary (to prevent the rhizome from floating). It can also be useful to grow the plant in a pot that you let sink to the bottom. As water lilies need a lot of nutrients, it is good to give extra food for healthy growth. 

Sowing description: Sow seeds in sifted pond or water lily soil and cover only very lightly with soil. Water until there is a 1-2 cm layer of water above the soil and place in a sunny position on a windowsill in the house. Germination usually after 3-4 weeks, with a grass-like plant first appearing. Once 2 mature leaves have formed, the plant can be repotted. You can let the water depth increase with the size of the plant in the first phase.