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 semi-double 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 color with curious coppery-bronze undersides and tinges of chartreuse throughout the year.

Landscape Attributes

Blue Lotus is an herbaceous evergreen perennial 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. It grows at a fast rate, and under ideal conditions can be expected to live for approximately 10 years. As an evegreen perennial, this plant will typically keep its form and foliage year-round.

This plant should only be grown in full sunlight. It is an excellent choice for very wet locations or locations with some standing water. It may require supplemental watering during periods of drought or extended heat. 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.