Special Notes on Lotus Tubers
Important Note on Shipping Lotus: Lotus orders come from a special, limited-availability, farm and because of this cannot be combined with other products for shipping. Shipping is a flat $18.00 regardless of the number of tubers ordered
Limited Time & Limited Quantities: Lotus are harvested during winter dormancy and shipped bare root, March 15 - Early May Only. Orders ship Mon-Wed of each week and are weather-dependent. Please allow extra delivery time if the order is placed Wed-Sun or during extreme temperatures.
How to Plant & Care for Lotus
Description
Grow your own lotus from seed
A lotus seed is as hard as a pebble, but file one end, drop it in warm water and within a week or two it cracks open and sends up a pale green shoot. This packet holds 15 randomly hybridized lotus seeds (Nelumbo) from the 'Little Princess' breeding program, the same line as 'Princess Harper'. Because they are random hybrids, every seed is a surprise: you won't know the flower color, petal count or final size until it blooms.
What's in the packet
Fifteen freshly harvested, randomly hybridized lotus seeds. Our growing guide walks you through every step, so you can start the day they arrive.
How to grow lotus from seed
- Scarify the seed. With a metal file or sandpaper, wear away the hard brown coat on one end until the cream-colored layer just shows. That lets water in to start germination.
- Soak in warm water. Put the filed seeds in a cup or bowl of warm water (70 to 90°F) in a bright, sunny spot indoors. Change the water every 1 to 2 days so it stays clean.
- Watch them sprout. Most seeds swell within hours and send out shoots within 1 to 2 weeks. When the stem is about 4 to 6 inches long and the leaves have opened, they're ready to plant.
- Plant in a container or pond. Use heavy clay-based soil, not potting mix, which floats. Plant in a wide, shallow container with at least 2 to 4 inches of water over the soil, in full sun.
Who they're for
First-time water gardeners who want an inexpensive start with lotus, koi keepers adding flowers to the pond, and experienced growers who enjoy raising unnamed hybrids. They also make a good hands-on project for kids, because they sprout fast and the change is easy to see. Many of these hybrids stay small enough for a bowl or patio container.
What to expect
Every seed is genetically unique. You might raise a tiny bowl lotus, a medium garden lotus or a tall plant for the pond, with flowers anywhere from white to pink to red, single or multi-petal. That surprise is why we call this the Miracle Packet.
Growing notes
- Seeds need water above 60°F to germinate reliably.
- Move seedlings started indoors outside once nights stay above 60°F.
- A lotus grown from seed may not bloom its first year while it builds its tuber; flowers usually come in year two.
- Hardy in USDA zones 4 to 10 once established.
Read full instructions for growing lotus from seeds
Estimate shipping
Payment & Security
Your payment information is processed securely. We do not store credit card details nor have access to your credit card information.