Nelumbo lutea - American Water Lotus

Family:	Nelumbonaceae
Habit:	Perennial
Height:	1.8
Width:	1
Synonyms:	N. pentapentala. Nelumbium luteum
Range:	Eastern N. America - Massachusetts to Minnesota, Nebraska and Louisiana.

Nelumbo lutea (American Water Lotus) is a Perennial which grows to a height of 1.8m and a width of 1m . It has a hardness rating of 4.
American Water Lotus will flower in January. The flowers from this plant are hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and they are pollinated by

Soil Information

American Water Lotus will grow in light (sandy),medium (loamy),hard (clay) soil. It is not necessary for the soil to be well drained.
The soil prefers the following PH / acid levels :
- pH of less than 6, Acidic soils
- pH between 6 and 8, Neutral soils
- pH greater than 8, Basic soils
American Water Lotus prefers soils

Ideal Planting Locations

American Water Lotus should not be planted in shady areas.

Ponds, slow streams and estuaries[43]. This species is almost extinct in the wild[213].

Planting places suited to this plant described below.

• Is a pond plant

Cultivation Details

Requires a rich loam[1] and a sunny position[188]. Succeeds in most soils[1]. Succeeds in water up to 0.6m deep[188]. Plants are half-hardy[188]. They should be hardy in the mild areas of Britain[1]. Grown as a food plant by the N. American Indians[1], it has been proposed for commercial cultivation[106]. The flowers are fragrant[245].

Edible Uses*

* See disclaimer
Edible Rating: 4/5
Root - cooked[1, 43, 46, 55, 159]. It is usually steeped in water prior to cooking in order to remove any bitterness[2]. The root is rich in starch[177], when baked it becomes sweet and mealy[95, 101], somewhat like a sweet potato[183]. The root is usually harvested in the autumn and will store for several months[257]. Leaves and young stems - cooked[62, 95, 101, 183]. Seed - raw or cooked[43, 46, 55, 95, 101]. A very agreeable taste[2, 159]. The seed can be dried, ground into a powder and used for making bread, thickening soups etc or can be eaten dry[62, 183]. The bitter tasting embryo is often removed. The half-ripe seed is said to be delicious raw or cooked, with a taste like chestnuts[183]. The seed contains up to 19% protein[213]. An edible oil can be extracted from the seed[207].

• Oil -
• Root - includes bulbs, corms, tubers, rhizomes etc.
• Seed - includes nuts, cereals, peas and beans.
• Stem - this often intergrades into leaves.

Medicinal Uses*

* See disclaimer
Medicinal Rating: 1/5
The root is pounded into a pulp, either fresh or dried, and used as a poultice for many inflammatory diseases[207].

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

Propagation

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[200].

Scented parts of the plants

Flowers : Fresh

Known Hazards

None known

Other Uses

None known

Cultivars

no recorded cultivars

References

Gray's Manual of Botany.
Fernald. M. L.
Author: Fernald. M. L.
Rating:
Publisher : A bit dated but good and concise flora of the eastern part of N. America.
Date of Publication : 1950

The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.
Huxley. A.
Author: Huxley. A.
Rating:
Publisher : Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
Date of Publication : 1992

An Illustrated Flora of the Northern United States and Canada
Britton. N. L. Brown. A.
Author: Britton. N. L. Brown. A.
Rating:
Publisher : Reprint of a 1913 Flora, but still a very useful book.
Date of Publication : 1970

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