Nelumbo nucifera--Sacred Lotus

The Sacred Lotus (Nelumbo nucifera) possesses great significance in Eastern religion. Apart from its majestic beauty, the Nelumbo nucifera Lotus is held sacred because of the mystical effects it can produce.

Nelumbo nucifera was often smoked or made into a tea with the idea that it would create a feeling of joy that permeated the mind and body. The flower of the Sacred Lotus was immortalized in Homer's The Odyssey, in which Ulysses and his crew come ashore on the Island of the Lotus-Eaters.

The tubers that form at the bottom of the plant in the winter were and are commonly used as food my Native American tribes and in Japan.

We sell dried petals of the Sacred Lotus flower, which resemble tobacco leaves in appearance and texture and Sacred Lotus seeds.

To grow Nelumbo nucifera Sacred Lotus from seed, file down one side of the seed with sand paper until there is a small amount of white color showing and place the seed in water. The Sacred Lotus seed should swell over the next few days and sprout within a week, growing quickly for the next couple of weeks. There are enough nutrients in the Nelumbo nucifera seed to support the plant for 30 days, but it should be planted as soon as practical. Plant in a pot with plenty of room for root growth below and around the seed (at least 4 inches) and place in water with the top of the pot between 12 and 18 inches below the surface of the water. Leaves will appear within a month and the plant should bloom in the second growing season.