Now that summer solstice is upon us, we bring our attention to the blooms that inspire artists, philosophers, and gardeners alike: water lilies and lotuses! These blooming water plants are over 120 million years old and have amazing qualities that continue to awaken and enliven us. At Garden Ponds in Kilauea, we propagate 42 varieties of water lilies and around ten varieties of lotuses.
If you have ever considered adding the alluring lotus to your garden, we have many that are showing promise for a bloom in the coming weeks. Aerial leaves are soaking up the sun, and buds are popping up! Summer solstice is the peak for lotus season, and even though the lotus will enter dormancy in the fall, now is the time to tap into the rewarding bloom season. When the lotus ‘show’ is over, you can always go back to the trusted year-round blooming water lily.
What is the difference between a lotus and a water lily?
Identifying the difference between water lilies and lotuses can get confusing, especially since in some languages, like Egyptian, there is only one word for both lotus and water lily, even though they are different species’ altogether!
Lotus has a blooming season in the summer months only, has leaves that stand up above the water’s surface, and can grow up to 6 feet tall!
- Lotus has aerial leaves that grow up above the water surface
- Water beads and repels off of lotus leaves (this is called hydrophobia)
- Lotus can grow up to 6 feet tall
- Lotus goes dormant in the fall and winter
- Lotus blooms only in the summer
- Lotus genus is called ‘nelumbo’
Water lilies have pads that sit on the water’s surface and flowers that bloom above the water, approximately 6 inches, often year-round!
- Water lily pads sit on the water’s surface
- Some varieties of water lilies bloom all year here in the sub-tropics, such as the purple Terri Dunn featured below right.
- Water lily genus is called ‘nymphaea’
Year-Round Blooming Waterlily: Nymphaea Terri Dunn
Terri Dunn has blue-violet cup shaped flowers with speckled violet sepals. This viviparous tropical lily has dark green leaves with gorgeous burgundy- and mulberry-colored patterns on the underside of the pads. The stamens are golden-orange spikes with the most delicate lavender tips. It is one of the most prolific bloomers in the pond or container water garden and will produce numerous flowers, almost non-stop, all season. The flowers are 4-6 inches wide and the plant can stay a suitable size for almost any water container garden, and thrive in as little as four hours of sun a day. We have found this lily to be one of the easiest water lilies to grow and have success with, because it is such a prolific easy bloomer, that does not require a lot of maintenance. The perfect starter lily, or a reliable addition.
