Plant Details

Nelumbo nucifera

Sacred Water Lotus

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Common names

63 names · 45 languages
EnglishYour language
+1 more nameShow fewer names
  • Sacred Water Lotus
Other languages (44)
Dutch
  • Heilige lotus
  • Indische lotus
  • Lotus[2]
French
  • Lotus sacré[2]
Arabic
  • نيلم جوزي[2]
Assamese
  • পদুম[2]
Bhojpuri
Burmese
  • ပဒုမ္မာကြာ[2]
Catalan
  • Lotus de l'Índia[2]
Chinese (Simplified)
+1 more nameShow fewer names
Chinese (Traditional)
Czech
  • lotos ořechonosný[2]
Danish
  • indisk lotus[2]
Divehi
  • ނެލަންބޯ ނުސިފޭރާ[2]
Farsi
  • لاله مردابی[2]
Finnish
  • Intianlootus[2]
German
  • Asiatische Lotosblume[1]
  • Indische Lotosblume[2]
  • Indische Lotusblume[2]
Gujarati
Hungarian
  • Indiai Lótusz[2]
Indonesian
Italian
  • Fior di loto asiatico[2]
Japanese
Javanese
Kannada
  • ಕಮಲ[2]
  • ತಾವರೆ[2]
Korean
Malayalam
  • താമര[2]
Marathi
Min Dong Chinese
  • Lèng-huă[2]
Nepali
Newari
  • पलेस्वां[2]
Odia
  • ପଦ୍ମ ଫୁଲ[2]
Polish
  • Lotos orzechodajny[2]
  • nurzykłąb orzechodajny[2]
Portuguese
Russian
  • Лотос орехоносный[2]
Sanskrit
  • कमलम्[2]
Sinhala
  • නෙළුම්[2]
Slovak
  • lotos indický[2]
Spanish
Swedish
  • indisk lotus[2]
Tamil
  • தாமரை[2]
Telugu
  • తామర పువ్వు[2]
Thai
  • บัวหลวง[2]
  • บัวหลวงอินเดีย[2]
Turkish
  • Kutsal Lotus[2]
Urdu
Western Punjabi
Language not specified
  • Oriental Lotus[1]
Sources & name notes (2)

Names recorded in our plant catalogue and botanical sources, grouped by language. Usage can vary by region.

Numbered references identify names recorded by an external source. Other names are from our plant catalogue.

[1] Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. ↗

Common names from World Plants, version 26.05, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20. License: CC BY.

Source records
  • Asiatische Lotosblume (DE) — VernacularName.tsv, line 166387; taxon 465R5.
  • Indian Lotus — VernacularName.tsv, line 166388; taxon 465R5.
  • Oriental Lotus — VernacularName.tsv, line 166389; taxon 465R5.
  • Sacred lotus (EN) — VernacularName.tsv, line 166390; taxon 465R5.
[2] Nelumbo nucifera — iNaturalist taxon names ↗

Community-curated iNaturalist taxonomy; common-name attestation, not an independent botanical determination.

Source records
  • Sacred Lotus — results[0].names[1]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • ハス — results[0].names[2]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • 蓮 — results[0].names[3]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • 荷花 — results[0].names[4]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • Lotus sacré — results[0].names[5]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • บัวหลวง — results[0].names[6]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • Lotus — results[0].names[7]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • lótus — results[0].names[8]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • Indian Lotus — results[0].names[9]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • Bean of India — results[0].names[10]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • Intianlootus — results[0].names[11]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • Lotus de l'Índia — results[0].names[12]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • કમળ — results[0].names[13]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • Lèng-huă — results[0].names[14]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • Indiai Lótusz — results[0].names[15]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • Seroja — results[0].names[16]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • Padma — results[0].names[17]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • পদুম — results[0].names[18]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • لاله مردابی — results[0].names[19]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • कमल — results[0].names[20]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • ނެލަންބޯ ނުސިފޭރާ — results[0].names[21]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • نيلم جوزي — results[0].names[22]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • ಕಮಲ — results[0].names[23]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • ပဒုမ္မာကြာ — results[0].names[24]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • ପଦ୍ମ ଫୁଲ — results[0].names[25]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • کنول — results[0].names[26]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • कमलम् — results[0].names[27]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • తామర పువ్వు — results[0].names[28]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • නෙළුම් — results[0].names[29]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • کنول — results[0].names[30]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • தாமரை — results[0].names[31]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • पलेस्वां — results[0].names[32]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • कमल — results[0].names[33]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • താമര — results[0].names[34]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • 莲 — results[0].names[35]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • loto sagrado — results[0].names[36]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • loto — results[0].names[37]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • Indische Lotosblume — results[0].names[38]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • lotos ořechonosný — results[0].names[39]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • Flor-de-lótus — results[0].names[40]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • Лотос орехоносный — results[0].names[41]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • Indische Lotusblume — results[0].names[42]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • Lotos orzechodajny — results[0].names[43]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • 荷花 — results[0].names[44]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • 菡萏 — results[0].names[45]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • Fior di loto asiatico — results[0].names[46]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • indisk lotus — results[0].names[47]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • 蓮花 — results[0].names[48]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • indisk lotus — results[0].names[49]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • 연꽃 — results[0].names[50]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • ತಾವರೆ — results[0].names[51]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • 芙蓉 — results[0].names[52]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • nurzykłąb orzechodajny — results[0].names[53]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • कमळ — results[0].names[54]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • บัวหลวงอินเดีย — results[0].names[55]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • lotos indický — results[0].names[56]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • 蓮 — results[0].names[57]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.
  • Kutsal Lotus — results[0].names[58]; taxon id 82814; Nelumbo nucifera.

General information

Scientific name: Nelumbo nucifera
Accepted name (Kew): Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. View name reference ↗

Accepted in the cited Kew taxonomic treatment.

Sources [1] [2]
Botanical family: Nelumbonaceae

Kew's family placement for the genus Nelumbo (WCVP v16).

Sources [1]
Also known as: Sacred Water Lotus
Images: Google Images

Plant characteristics

Layer: Aquatic
Catalogue size class: Small
Height: 0.91–1.83 m

NC State landscape size range; converted from feet and inches. Size varies with site, age and management.

Sources [3]
Spread: 0.91–1.22 m

NC State landscape size range; converted from feet and inches. Size varies with site, age and management.

Sources [3]
Growth rate: Moderate
Sources [3]
Foliage: Evergreen
Sources [3]
Growth habit: Ascending, Spreading

Whole-plant habit and form as described by NC State.

Sources [3]
Life cycle: Annual, Perennial
Sources [3]

Growing conditions

USDA hardiness: 4a, 4b, 5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b

USDA zones listed by NC State; winter survival does not establish reliable cropping.

Sources [3]
Soil moisture:
Frequent Standing Water

Moisture and drainage conditions listed by NC State.

Sources [3]
Soil:
High Organic Matter, Loam (Silt)
Sources [3]
pH:
Acidic Neutral Alkaline
Light:
Full sun
Sources [3]

Uses

Edible parts:
Leaves, Flowers, Coffee, Tea, Stem, Seed
Edibility rating:
(4)
Medicinal rating:
(3)
Functions:
Carbon farming, Fragrant

Description

Boiled carrots are often eaten as a vegetable and can also serve as a source of starch or arrowroot. They are a beloved ingredient in Chinese cuisine due to their mild flavor and crunchy texture. Carrots can be combined with other vegetables, soaked in syrup, or pickled in vinegar. They contain approximately 1.7% protein, 0.1% fat, 9.7% carbohydrates, and 1.1% ash. The young leaves of the plant can be eaten both cooked and raw and serve as a vegetable. They can also be used to wrap food before cooking. The stems of the plant, which can be cooked and somewhat taste like sugar beets, are usually peeled before use. The seeds of the plant can be consumed both raw and cooked and have a delicate flavor. The seeds can be popped like popcorn, ground into powder for making bread, or eaten dry. Often, the bitter embryo of the seed is removed. The seeds contain approximately 15.9% protein, 2.8% fat, 70% carbohydrates, and 3.9% ash. Roasted seeds are used as a coffee substitute. Leaves of the plant can be added to soups or used as a garnish. The stamens are used to flavor tea.

Harvest

Harvest starts: 01/09
Harvest ends: 31/10

Sources and references

References for the information marked with source numbers on this page.

Sources checked
  1. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew World Checklist of Vascular Plants, version 16, extracted 4 June 2026
    Supports: Botanical familyTaxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Botanical family: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 102152; name ID 2384991; Nelumbo Adans.. Family column.
    • Taxonomy: WCVP v16, wcvp_names.csv row 102038; name ID 2384945; Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn..

    Source checked on .

    Source data licence: CC BY 3.0.

  2. Catalogue of Life Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20 — Nelumbo nucifera

    Taxonomic data from World Plants, version 26.05, reproduced in Catalogue of Life 2026-08-20.

    Supports: Taxonomy
    Relevant sections
    • Taxonomy: COL 2026-08-20, NameUsage.tsv line 733749, ID 465R5: Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. (accepted).

    Source checked on .

  3. NC State Extension, North Carolina State University Nelumbo nucifera — Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox
    Supports: HeightSpreadGrowth rateFoliageGrowth habitLife cycleLightSoil moistureSoil textureUSDA hardiness
    Relevant sections
    • Height: Dimensions > Height; Height: 3 ft. 0 in. - 6 ft. 0 in.
    • Spread: Dimensions > Width; Width: 3 ft. 0 in. - 4 ft. 0 in.
    • Growth rate: Growth Rate
    • Foliage: Woody Plant Leaf Characteristics
    • Growth habit: Habit/Form
    • Life cycle: Life Cycle
    • Light: Light
    • Soil moisture: Soil Drainage
    • Soil texture: Soil Texture
    • USDA hardiness: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone

    Source checked on .