Habit: Plants are obligate aquatic floating and emergent rooted perennials.

Roots: Rhizomes

Leaves: Leaves float on the surface of the water or are held up to 2 m (6 feet) above the water by their petioles. Leaf blades are circular peltate (stem attached to the center of the leaf without a sinus or cleft), 0.2 - 1 m (0.75-2.5 ft) wide, waxy (hydrophobic), green, hairless, with smooth margins, centers depress towards the middle with veins radiating from center. Petioles (leaf stems) are light green, terete, hairless, smooth or slightly prickly, hollow chambers to keep the stems erect and convey oxygen to the root system.

Flowers/Fruits: Flowers, held up 2 m (6 ft) above the water by peduncles, are 10-20 cm (4-8 in) wide, contain about 15 pink tepals (petals and sepals indistinguishable), a golden yellow receptacle, and a dense ring of golden stamens. The receptacle is in the center of the flower, is cone shaped, and has 15-35 short styles that look like small bumps. Each flower is replaced by a seedpod 7-10 cm (3-4 in) wide and 2 cm (0.75 in) deep. Seedpods become dark brown at maturity, bending down to release seeds, and individual seeds are exposed in small chambers.

Habitat: Locations include shallow (0.3 - 1.0 m deep) ponds, lakes, slow-moving streams, rivers, reservoirs, freshwater tidal waters, and wetlands.

Life history: Nelumbo nucifera can grow up to 10 m in a year by vegetative spread from rhizomes. Flowers and fruits are observed from June to October, and take 5-6 years to reach maturity. Flowers are self-compatible, but also protogynous (styles mature before stamens) and thermogenic, creating heat for pollinators such as bees, flies, and beetles. Seeds can survive for hundreds and maybe thousands of years, requiring scarification to initiate germination (Les 2018).

Tolerances: This species prefers rich and fertile soils (Hyde silty loam, marl, and muck), and can tolerate acidic (pH: 5.7-6.8) waters. It requires full sunlight and summer temperatures above 25°C.

Community: Nelumbo are eaten by deer, beavers, muskrats, and porcupines, while ducks are known to eat the fruits (achenes). The leaves create shelter and shade for fish and invertebrates, including mosquitos. The freshwater bryozoan, Pectinatella magnifica, grows on the underside of floating leaves. The N. nucifera populations in North America host larvae of the moth, Psara obscuralis (Les 2018).

Secondary introductions likely occur naturally; the receptacles and fruits are buoyant and easily float downstream, while waterfowl can eat the fruits and carry them long distances (endozoochory) (Les 2018).

Summary of species impacts derived from literature review. Click on an icon to find out more...

Ecological