American Lotus
Nelumbo lutea
Also known as: Yellow Lotus
Bold and tropical-looking: huge blue-green leaves held high above the water and pale yellow flowers the size of dinner plates, followed by the iconic shower-head seed pods prized for dried arrangements. Aggressive by rhizome — for big ponds only. Seeds and tubers are edible and were a staple food.
- Family
- Nelumbonaceae
- Type
- wildflower
- Lifespan
- perennial
- Height
- 1.5–4 ft
- Spacing
- 3–8 ft apart
- Light
- sun
- Soil moisture
- wet
- Soil pH
- acidic, neutral, alkaline
- Bloom
- June, July, August
- Bloom colors
- yellow, cream
- Wildlife value
- pollinators, mammals
- Landscape uses
- naturalizing
- Native states
- AL, AR, FL, GA, IA, IL, IN, KS, KY, LA, MA, MD, MI, MN, MO, MS, NC, NE, NJ, OH, OK, PA, SC, TN, TX, VA, VT, WI