Lakeshore Garden Centres Plant Finder

Other Names:  Star Lotus, Blue Star waterlily, Nymphaea stellata

Description:

A day blooming plant with submerged roots and stems; fragrant, vivid purple star blooms rise in summer, above bright green pads with undulating edges; water lilies dislike moving water; annual in colder climates

Ornamental Features

Blue Lotus features showy fragrant purple star-shaped flowers with gold eyes at the ends of the stems from early summer to mid fall. The flowers are excellent for cutting. Its attractive large glossy round leaves remain light green in colour with curious coppery-bronze undersides and tinges of chartreuse throughout the year.

Landscape Attributes

Blue Lotus is an herbaceous annual with a ground-hugging habit of growth. Its relatively coarse texture can be used to stand it apart from other garden plants with finer foliage.

This plant will require occasional maintenance and upkeep, and should be cut back in late fall in preparation for winter. It has no significant negative characteristics.

Blue Lotus is recommended for the following landscape applications;

• Water Gardens
• Naturalizing And Woodland Gardens
• Container Planting
• Bog Gardens

Planting & Growing

Blue Lotus will grow to be about 12 inches tall at maturity extending to 18 inches tall with the flowers, with a spread of 6 feet. Its foliage tends to remain dense right to the ground, not requiring facer plants in front. Although it's not a true annual, this fast-growing plant can be expected to behave as an annual in our climate if left outdoors over the winter, usually needing replacement the following year. As such, gardeners should take into consideration that it will perform differently than it would in its native habitat.

This plant should only be grown in full sunlight. It is an excellent choice for very wet locations or locations with some standing water. To help this plant achive its best flowering performance, periodically apply a flower-boosting fertilizer from early spring through into the active growing season. It is not particular as to soil type or pH. It is somewhat tolerant of urban pollution. This species is not originally from North America. It can be propagated by division.

Blue Lotus is a fine choice for the garden, but it is also a good selection for planting in outdoor pots and containers. Because of its spreading habit of growth, it is ideally suited for use as a 'spiller' in the 'spiller-thriller-filler' container combination; plant it near the edges where it can spill gracefully over the pot. Note that when growing plants in outdoor containers and baskets, they may require more frequent waterings than they would in the yard or garden.