American Water Lotus, American lotus
Nelumbo lutea

Family: Nelumbonaceae

What it is like

Nelumbo lutea is a PERENNIAL growing to 1.8 m (6ft) by 1 m (3ft 3in). See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 4. It is in flower in July. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Insects, beetles. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It can grow in water.

Height (m): 1.8

Where it is found

Mostly flood plains of major rivers in ponds, lakes, pools in marshes and swamps, and backwaters of reservoirs from sea level to 400 metres.

Eastern N. America - Massachusetts to Minnesota, Nebraska and Louisiana.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

How it is used

Food

Rating: 4

Root - cooked. It is usually steeped in water prior to cooking in order to remove any bitterness. The root is rich in starch, when baked it becomes sweet and mealy, somewhat like a sweet potato. The root is usually harvested in the autumn and will store for several months. Leaves and young stems - cooked. Seed - raw or cooked. A very agreeable taste. The seed can be dried, ground into a powder and used for making bread, thickening soups etc or can be eaten dry. The bitter tasting embryo is often removed. The half-ripe seed is said to be delicious raw or cooked, with a taste like chestnuts. The seed contains up to 19% protein. An edible oil can be extracted from the seed.

Oil: Oil

Root: includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.

Seed: includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.

Stem: this often intergrades into leaves.

Medicine

Rating: 1

The root is pounded into a pulp, either fresh or dried, and used as a poultice for many inflammatory diseases.

Poultice: A moist, usually warm or hot, mass of plant material applied to the skin in the treatment of burns etc.

Other

Rating: 0

Oil: Vegetable oils have many uses, as lubricants, lighting, soap and paint making, waterproofing etc. This does not include the edible oils unless they are also mentioned as having other uses.

Historic Crop: These crops were once cultivated but have been abandoned. The reasons for abandonment may include colonization, genocide, market pressures, the arrival of superior crops from elsewhere, and so forth.

Staple Crop: Balanced carb: (0-15 percent protein, 0-15 percent oil, with at least one over 5 percent). The carbohydrates are from either starch or sugar. Annuals include maize, wheat, rice, and potato. Perennials include chestnuts, carob, perennial fruits, nuts, cereals, pseudocereals, woody pods, and acorns.

Historic Crop: These crops were once cultivated but have been abandoned. The reasons for abandonment may include colonization, genocide, market pressures, the arrival of superior crops from elsewhere, and so forth.

Staple Crop: Balanced carb: (0-15 percent protein, 0-15 percent oil, with at least one over 5 percent). The carbohydrates are from either starch or sugar. Annuals include maize, wheat, rice, and potato. Perennials include chestnuts, carob, perennial fruits, nuts, cereals, pseudocereals, woody pods, and acorns.

Carbon Farming: Plants that can be a critical part of the solution to climate problems. The Carbon Farming Solution - Eric Toensmeier.

Scented Plants: Plants noted for their scent

How it is grown

Requires a rich loam and a sunny position. Succeeds in most soils. Succeeds in water up to 0.6m deep. Plants are half-hardy. They should be hardy in the mild areas of Britain. One report says that the plant is almost extinct in the wild, whilst another says that it is sometimes an aggressive, difficult-to-eradicate weed in ponds, lakes, and reservoirs. Grown as a food plant by the N. American Indians, it has been proposed for commercial cultivation. The flowers are fragrant.

Propagating it: Seed - file the seed across its centre, being very careful not to damage the flesh of the seed, and soak in warm water, changing the water twice a day until signs of germination are seen, which should be within 3 - 4 weeks at 25°c. Plant in individual pots just covered in water and increase the depth as the plant grows. Division in spring as the plant comes into growth. Be very careful, the plants deeply resent root disturbance.

Best place to grow: Pond;

Habit: Perennial

Hardiness: 4-8

Growth:

Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)

Shade: No shade

Moisture: Water

Things to keep in mind

Its other names

Local names

Synonyms

N. pentapentala. Nelumbium luteum