American lotus
Nelumbo lutea
USDA zones4 to 9
SunNeeds full sun (6+ hours)
WaterHandles moist to wet soil
Size3 to 6 feet tall3 to 4 feet wide
- Growth rate
- Rapid
- Habit
- Herb
- Bloom season
- Summer, autumn
- Bloom color
- Yellow
- Foliage color
- Green
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay
- Soil pH
- Acid, alkaline, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
American lotus (Nelumbo lutea) is a perennial for pollinator gardens, low maintenance plantings, and meadows. It is hardy to USDA zone 4, or down to -30°F (-34°C). This plant likes full sun and moist to wet, sandy, loamy, or clay soil. Its fragrant, pale yellow flowers open in the morning and close by late afternoon. Deer tend to pass it by. Bees visit the blooms, and the plant needs lots of space to spread.
Pairs well with Reed grass, Dutchman's pipe, and Star of persia.
Native range
Eastern North America.