Tropical Water Plants

Tropical Water Plants, especially water lilies and water lotus, have been revered by artists for eons. Egyptians left evidence of their reverence for water lilies and other water plants thousands of years ago. They even used the papyrus plant to create an early type of paper.

I once had five ponds in my Atlanta garden, one of which held a pink lotus that a friend brought to me from the lake next to his childhood home in Florida. Every spring they put on a spectacular show, as the arrow shaped new sprouts shot straight up from the depths of the mud, climbing higher into the air. Then ingeniously the "arrow tip" leveled off to unfurl a new dinner plate sized leaf. A few months later the magnificent lotus buds appeared, eventually opening, allowing their alluring scent to perfume the garden. I still have dried lotus seed pods from that time.

Water plants do require a certain amount of yearly maintenance, but they are well worth the effort. Today, even the most humble garden enthusiast can grow these magnificent plants in a simple tub or pot in the sun. Be sure to add a couple of small goldfish to keep the mosquito larva under control.

Nelumbo nucifera (Asian Lotus, Sacred Lotus, Egyptian Lotus)

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