Lotus
Nelumbo nucifera
Family: Nelumbonaceae · Also called Sacred Lotus, Indian Lotus, Bean of India, Nelumbium speciosum var. caspicum, Nelumbium indicum, Nelumbium album
Powdery & Soft · Summer bloomer
The lotus is the most spiritually significant flower on earth, sacred across multiple religions and civilizations spanning millennia. Rising from muddy water to bloom immaculately above the surface, it embodies the universal metaphor of purity emerging from darkness. Its leaves are superhydrophobic, water beads and rolls off carrying dirt with it, a property now called the 'lotus effect.'
purity, enlightenment, rebirth, transcendence
In the Victorian language of flowers, lotus means “Purity rising from adversity”. The lotus is sacred in Hinduism, Buddhism, and ancient Egyptian religion. In Buddhism, the lotus growing from mud to bloom above water symbolizes the path to enlightenment. Hindu deities are often depicted seated on lotus thrones. The lotus position in yoga takes its name from this flower.
Did You Know?
Lotus seeds are the longest-lived of any flowering plant. In 1995, a 1,300-year-old lotus seed from a dry lake bed in China was successfully germinated and bloomed. The plant has also been shown to thermoregulate, keeping its flowers at 30-35°C even when air temperatures drop to 10°C.
Shallow ponds, lakes, and flooded fields across tropical and subtropical Asia
Lotus is native to South Asia, East Asia, Australia. It naturally grows in shallow ponds, lakes, and flooded fields across tropical and subtropical asia.
Scent Profile
“A delicate, powdery-sweet fragrance with clean aquatic undertones, ethereal and meditative, like incense over still water.”
Quick Reference
- Scientific NameNelumbo nucifera
- FamilyNelumbonaceae
- Native ToSouth Asia, East Asia, Australia
- Bloom SeasonSummer
- LifespanPerennial
Cultural Significance
The lotus is sacred in Hinduism, Buddhism, and ancient Egyptian religion. In Buddhism, the lotus growing from mud to bloom above water symbolizes the path to enlightenment. Hindu deities are often depicted seated on lotus thrones. The lotus position in yoga takes its name from this flower.