Lotus is considered one of the most impressive aquatic plants available on the market today. It’s a true aquatic perennial plant that belongs to the genus Nelumbo, and consists of only two species – the yellow-flowered American lotus (Nelumbo lutea) found in the Americas, and the pink Asiatic lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) found in Asia, Australia, and Eastern Europe.
These two species have been grown and bred for centuries, resulting in hundreds of hybrids that range in many size and color options. There are many intriguing facts about the lotus that we think you’ll enjoy:
- The Ionic form of Grecian architecture is derived from the Assyrian and Phoenician styles, which have the lotus as their basis.
- Homer immortalized the lotus in the epic poem, The Odyssey, where Ulysses and his men went ashore on the Island of the Lotus Eaters.
- Lotus is the name of a car as well as a computer software program.
- Lotus is still a staple food item in Asia.
- The dried seedpods, which resemble showerheads, are used extensively in floral arrangements.
- The immature seeds are considered a delicacy by the Cajuns of southern Louisiana and are delicious eaten raw.
- Indians hold that Brahma, creator of the universe, initially sprang from a lotus blossom.
- Buddha is virtually always depicted as giving a discourse standing on a lotus pedestal, while Buddhist scriptures attribute purity, fragrance, delicateness, and beauty to this magnificent plant.
- Various parts of the lotus plant are used in folklore and herbal medicine with some literature even advocating smoking the lotus leaves or brewing them into a tea. Its effects from smoking are described thusly; “The effects seem primarily cerebral, but are quite noticeable and very enjoyable. There is a feeling of joy that permeates the whole body, emanating from every cell. This is delightfully wonderful and lasts for some time.”