Product Overview
(Nelumbo 'Holy Fire') Hardy Water Lotus
Holy Fire has lots of full, multi-petal blooms with varying shades of pink. The new flower is a deep, almost red pink. As it ages, Holy Fire petals extend and drape beautifully, the inner petals becoming a lighter pink than the outer petals. The result is a combination of different pinks on a single bloom, and on large, productive plants a combination of blooms of varying intensity at different stages of development. Very popular!
SIZE: Medium (Height 3-4')
Planting Container: We recommend a 12.5" x 7" pot to grow a normal sized plant, and a 15" x 6" or 20" x 7" fabric pot to grow a specimen sized plant. Click on a fabric pot link to read about why fabric pots work better than hard plastic pots!
LIGHT REQUIREMENTS: Full Sun
WATER DEPTH: 2" TO 24" (Maximum water depth is for mature lotus). When fully grown, it is possible to move them into water 1 or 2 feet deeper, but they will come up later in the season, and not get as tall.
USDA HARDINESS ZONES: 4-11
FERTILIZING: For best health and growth, and especially for maximizing the size and number of blooms, we recommend fertilizing waterlilies regularly. Use Pondtabbs 20 count, 60 count, or 300 count for fast release, or Aquascape 6 count or 12 count capsules for slow release (once a year) fertilizing. Aquascape is preferred for low maintenance, but Pondtabbs are useful in Spring when Aquascape is slow to start in low temperatures. Pondtabbs are also useful for a quick extra nutrient push for extra bloom, and for mid-summer fertilizing of a new plant (we don't recommend using slow release fertilizer in mid-summer or later in cold climates, as plants should run out of fertilizer at the end of the year to encourage dormancy in cold climates). For best bloom, double the amount of fertilizer for lotus, compared to most other plants.
Lotus are sold as bare root tubers, or sometimes later in the Spring as runners with small leaves. The growing points are fragile, and must be handled very carefully.
Important!: For planting and fertilizing instructions, and also for general care, please see our Planting and Care Guide for Hardy Water Lotus. It is critical to read these instructions before getting a lotus, so you may provide the right environment for these beautiful plants!
For information on Using Plants for Pond Filtration, please read our blog on this topic!
