Sacred no, but the American lotus has its charms

By Moira Sheridan, Delaware Online, September 10, 2009

<< Although it's pretty, the American lotus in some places is regarded as an invasive weed. Moira Sheridan

Tucked into the tidal waters surrounding the Mount Harmon Plantation near Earleville, Md., the American lotus is in full bloom throughout August.

Abundant in the small cove, it's nonetheless an uncommon aquatic plant in Maryland,where it grows in only four creeks and rivers. Its flat, rounded leaves and enormous, buttery-yellow flowers bob rhythmically, churned now and then by a passing boat wake. The undulating blossoms and foliage stretch across the shallows like a living carpet.

The American lotus (Nelumbo lutea) is found primarily along the east coast of the United States, where it prefers the still waters of lakes and ponds. But it also thrives in quiet inlets and coves, where its fleshy rhizomes can burrow into the muddy bottoms.

Known in some states as a weed, here in the calm waters of McGill Creek it tends toward the picturesque rather than the obnoxious.

A relative of the sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera), known for its luscious pink flower and linked with Buddhist symbols of purity, the American lotus is smaller and lesser known. It lacks both mystique and symbolism, but its flowers are no less beautiful, its leaves no less magical and its seed heads no less recognizable.

Lotus flowers are large and bowl-shaped with up to 20 petals. The yellow color is ethereal, glowing through each petal like moonlight. The blue-green leaves are perfectly round, and, because of a waxy coating, water beads like mercury atop them, catches the sun in a crystal flash, and rolls off.

Once the petals have dropped, the familiar seed-head -- a staple in dried flower arrangements -- continues to grow into its signature shower-head shape. Inside each pod are seeds that may lie dormant for up to 200 years before sprouting.

American lotus plants grow from thick stems, or rhizomes, under the water. A single rhizome may be responsible for an entire population in a certain location.

It is this "clonal" characteristic that concerns biologists for two opposing reasons.

If all the plants come from a single source, the limited genetic diversity may lessen its chances for survival. On the other hand, if the superplant spreads uncontrolled in ideal conditions, it chokes out other vegetation. For these reasons, it is considered threatened and endangered in some states and invasive in others.
From the rhizome they send up large, platter-like leaves that sit atop the water or rise above it on stiff stems that attach to the direct center of each leaf. Scientifically speaking, the leaves are superhydrophobic, covered in a rough surface of waxy projections, which causes water to bead and slide off. This ability has been used as a model for technologies such as self-cleaning windows.

In Native American cultures, the lotus was an important food source, particularly the starchy rhizomes, which were baked or boiled and eaten as a vegetable. Spring's emerging leaves can be steamed like spinach, and the seeds -- known as pond nuts or duck acorns -- remain important fodder for wildlife.

Roots, stems, and seeds were used medicinally by Native Americans.

Because of its tendency to spread in small ponds, it's best to observe this lovely plant in its native habitat.

Plans are under way at Mount Harmon Plantation for a lotus festival next August, during peak bloom, when visitors may see the plants blooming in the cove, downhill from the manor house. Stay posted at www.mountharmon.org.

TO DO LIST

September 10, 2009

• Divide and transplant perennials.

• Plant containerized trees and shrubs, making sure to spread roots out away from the main stem.

• Rejuvenate depleted soil with compost and a mulch of shredded leaves.

• Dispose of blighted tomato plants in the trash; do not compost them!

• Plant a fall crop of lettuce and spinach.

• Get ready to reseed and/or re-sod lawns. Fall is the best time to do this.

• Prepare houseplants for being moved back indoors. Hose off their pots and move them up onto a porch or close to the back door.

• Plan where you will plant bulbs for next spring's bloom.

 

 

 

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