Nelumbo Pygmaea Yellow - Sacred Lotus

The Nelumbo 'Pygmaea Yellow' is a dwarf lotus with light yellow flowers well suited for small ponds and container gardening. This variety possesses the same qualities that we love about the sacred Indian lotus, but the plant is smaller in all its parts. It has beautiful round floating leaves and flower stalks bearing semi-double, pastel yellow flowers. This dwarf lotus is hardy as long as its rhizome does not freeze. It can also be taken out of the water in autumn and stored in frost-free conditions, in slightly damp mud.

The Nelumbo 'Pygmaea Yellow' is a perennial plant from the Nelumbonaceae family. It is a dwarf selection of the sacred lotus. It is an aquatic plant with foliage and flowers that rise above the water, unlike water lilies. The natural range of the species, Nelumbo nucifera, includes Southeast Asia and Northern Australia. In these regions, it inhabits large ponds and muddy canals, standing out with majesty.

The 'Pygmaea Yellow' variety develops bluish-green leaves from spring onwards, more or less upright, with a flat or concave surface, slightly undulating at the edges. Water droplets on their surface bead up instead of spreading out due to the water-repellent quality of the epidermis. The entire, peltate lamina, measuring between 15 and 20 cm in diameter, attaches to the very brittle rhizome via a slender thorny petiole, fixed beneath the centre of the leaf. The plant will rise to approximately 55 cm above the water surface. Flowering begins in June-July and continues until autumn. The flowers, with perfect form, measuring 10 cm in diameter, are solitary. They persist for several days before wilting and are replaced by new flower buds. This flowering is followed by the formation of highly decorative fruits shaped like a watering can, with small holes through which the seeds escape when ripe. It is often used in the making of dried bouquets and contains numerous seeds that will eventually sink and germinate in the mud.

The Dwarf Lotus is ideal for small water gardens and adapts well to cultivation in various watertight containers that will adorn the terrace or balcony. The number of flowers produced depends on the size of the growing container. In a container with a diameter of 30 cm, the plant will produce between 3 and 8 flowers, 8 to 15 flowers in a 50 cm container, and up to 25 in a basin or barrel with an 80 cm diameter.

Lotus and water lilies will be the main attraction in your pond plantings. Most of them bloom from spring to early autumn. The lotus is also an essential plant for maintaining the balance of a garden pond, as it contributes to the oxygenation of the water. Its leaves provide shade and shelter for your fish, which, in return, will protect them from predatory insects such as aphids.

The entire plant is edible. The seeds are consumed candied, and the rhizome is a nourishing starch. The yellow stamens are used to flavour tea in Vietnam. The rhizome and seeds are also used in Chinese cosmetology to fight against ageing, as well as in medicine and the perfume industry.

The perfection of the flower and fruit of the sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) makes this aquatic plant a symbol of purity in several religions. In Buddhism, it derives its sacred character from the belief that Buddha appeared floating on its leaf. In Hinduism, it is seen as the cradle of the universe.