Lotus, Sacred (Nelumbo nucifera) seeds
$5.95 – $48.00
Family: Lotus (Nelumbonacea)
Hardy to Zones 6 to 12
Aquatic perennial native to India and Asia. Roots, leaves, stems, flowers and seeds used in food and ritual. Traditional usage (Ayurveda): Tonic to digestion, genito-urinary tract, skin. To sprout the seeds, tap with a hammer on a hard surface to crack, or rub through the seed coat near the dimpled base of the seed with sandpaper or a grinding wheel until the white endosperm is just exposed. Then drop seed in a gallon jar of water placed indoors in a light, warm windowsill or in the greenhouse. When water becomes cloudy, replace it with clear water. Germination occurs in 6 to 60 days. Roots are formed 1 to 2 weeks after the shoots. After the seedling produces its first roots, transplant to the pond. Ponds 3 feet deep are commonly utilized, although shallower water may be more appropriate for working up the new seedling, and water as deep as 8 feet will work for mature plants. Make sure the roots are firmly anchored in the mud at the bottom of the pond. In areas where the mud at the bottom of the pond does not freeze, these will naturalize and bloom in the second year. Lotus may also be grown in a container. Start with a 1-gallon size pot without drainage holes. Put 2 inches of clay or very dense topsoil in the container and thoroughly wet it. Do not touch the stems, they tend to go black if they are pinched. Instead just scoop up the rooted seed and drop it in the hole. Plant the sprouted seed with roots down and green portions up about 1 inch deep in the wet clay. Cover with 2 inches of sand to keep it in place, then carefully fill the container with water up to the brim. The green shoots should be above the water surface when this is finished. After the rhizome fills the pot, set the pot in at the base of a half-drum that has a 6 inch layer of clay at the bottom. Nestle the pot down into the clay. Then as the plant grows and develops, gradually fill the half drum with water in order to accommodate the expanding growth. Harvest for the edible rhizome (tuber) is in the fall. In the tropics, it takes 120 days for the tubers to reach edible size. In colder climes, it takes 150 to 180 days before harvest. Flowers are not produced until the second year. Space plants 3 feet apart.
Packet contains 7 seeds
100 g contains ~100 seeds
Open Pollinated, Untreated, NO GMO’s
Ian moore (verified owner) –
Hi richo,
My leaves are starting to get little reddish spots. I have a few In a 1 gallon pot in 5 gallon buckets of water. Is the small space causing this? I also transported them and
they probably got splashed alot. They are also near a garlic patch that had rust as well. Thanks
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Shari (verified owner) –
Hi there! Just got my American and Sacred lotus seeds in the mail. Can I put more than one in the jar with water? How many do you recommend per jar? Thanks!
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Richo Cech –
hi shari, thanks for contacting. a real favorite, these. you can put the whole packet in a quart jar for starters. richo
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Catherine –
How is your lotus seed doing? I’ve not had luck myself in previous years, it have never purchased my seeds here.
The seeds sprout then when I transfer to soil they don’t survive.
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Richo Cech –
Hi Catherine, Thanks for contacting. We have newly harvested lotus seeds in stock! I think you already know to scarify the seeds and drop into a jar of water to sprout. The seed will produce first lily pads but one must wait to transplant until roots form, which takes quite a bit longer. There’s an extensive writeup in “Growing Plant Medicine Vol 2” about how else to proceed. All the best, richo
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Ian moore (verified owner) –
Hi can these be grown outside on zone 9? Or only green house. Thanks!
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Richo Cech –
Hello Ian,
Thanks for staying in touch! New crop seeds come in May 2024. They can be grown outdoors in a zone 9–plenty warm enough for them–they seem tropical but are pretty cold hardy actually. The Lotus chapter in “Growing Plant Medicine Vol 2” was one of the funnest to write and is worth reading if you have advanced curiosity about this plant. Richo
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Ian moore (verified owner) –
Great! Is it possible to plant without roots? I have one that is almost a foot long in jar but no roots. Thanks
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Richo Cech –
Hello Ian, Not really, you need to wait until it makes roots. Richo
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Ian Moore (verified owner) –
How big will these get? Are they a large variety? Thanks
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Richo Cech –
Hello Ian, We had one plant completely fill a 6-foot stock tank. They are large when given plenty of room. richo
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Question
JD (verified owner) –
Hi Richo,
what is the interval of succession planting I would need to do, if I want to grow the roots for good eating?
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Richo Cech –
hi jd, this would depend on environment as these grow very fast in the tropics and quite slowly in temperate conditions. On the average every 6 months or so. richo
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Michael Monaghan –
Hi Richo
Just wondering if this would over winter in Central N.C. Subtropical and humid can get cold a few months..HMM
Mike
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Richo Cech –
Hi Michael, I’ve seen them grown successfully in open ponds as far north as san rafael in CA, which is a Zone 9b. So that zone designation should still hold for e coast. My thought is that if white pond lily grows well for you, then sacred white lotus will, too. richo
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Question
Allegra Chesnut –
What spacing is appropriate for this plant? I’m setting up a water garden with seven square feet of growing space. Thanks.
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Richo Cech –
Try one plant every 3 feet. The plants will size themselves to the container. We had one plant absolutely fill a 6 foot stock tank. richo
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Bridget (verified owner) –
What do you think about nicking the seeds and dropping them straight into the shallow end of a warm pond?
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Richo Cech –
that might work
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Ian moore (verified owner) –
Hi what time of year should I plant? Sprouted these last year and the pot I transplanted them in had a leak and didn’t make it.
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Richo Cech –
hello ian, thanks for writing. the seeds can be scarified and germinated anytime and must be planted after roots show, which is generally after the seedling produces 2 or 3 stems with lily pads. there is an extensive monograph with specific advice on habitat, container sizes, water levels, zones, etc in the upcoming book “growing plant medicine vol 2” richo
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