Information Panel: Life Cycle of a Lotus

Information Panel: Life Cycle of a Lotus

NPS / Kelsey Graczyk

Life Cycle of a Lotus 

Resilience, purity, and rebirth are some of the symbolic representations of the lotus flower. For thousands of years, peoples, cultures and religions have identified with the journey a lotus takes over the course of its life. 

The lotus begins its life cycle underwater, during the winter months. Deep in the mud tuberous roots lay dormant. With warmer weather the stems and leaves rise above the water to collect energy from the sun. 

Buds shoot up over the leaves, reaching heights of five to six feet tall. The large, mature flower opens in the morning and closes in the afternoon, over a five-day period in summer. 

In the center of each flower, a conical, yellow seed pod produces heat to attract a variety of pollinators. After blooming, the large petals wither and fall. As the seeds mature, the seed pods turn green and dry out. 

Eventually, the stems holding the seed pods weaken. 

The pods then tilt towards the water and drop their seeds back into the pond. The plant is able to reproduce from its seeds and tubers. 

The pink Asian lotus, revered for its magnificent flowers, edible seeds, roots and leaves. The native yellow American lotus can also be found at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens. 

"From the mud of adversity grows the lotus of joy." 

- Carolyn Marsden and Thây Pháp Nim, The Buddha's Diamond 

Life Cycle of a Lotus 

The large buds of the lotus plant typically reach a height of five to six feet above the water surface at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens. 

Lotus flowers can range in color from white to dark pink. They usually have 15 petals, with blooms reaching an average span of 8-12 inches. 

Seed pods droop downward as they dry. The pod's cavernous holes enlarge, then release their seeds into the water, 

Lotus 

Bloom at Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens from late June to early August 

"As a lotus flower is born in water, grows in water and rises out of water to stand above it unsoiled, so I, born in the world, raised in the world having overcome the world, live unsoiled by the world." 

- Buddah 

Thick, waxy lotus leaves are hydrophobic (water repellent) with a self-cleaning surface. 

Dirt and debris collect in droplets then roll off the leaves in the wind and rain.