Plant · GBIF taxon 7503234
American lotus
Nelumbo luteaAlso known as Yellow Lotus, Water-chinquapin, Volée, American Water Lotus
American lotus carpets quiet ponds and backwaters with circular, umbrella-like leaves that lift straight above the water on stiff stalks. Pale yellow blossoms up to ten inches wide open for several days each summer, emitting a subtle fragrance that attracts native bees and beetles. Indigenous peoples historically harvested the starchy root tubers and nut-like seeds from the distinctive shower-head seed pods.
AquaticShowy BloomNative Plant
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Least ConcernConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXLeast ConcernRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Autotrophic (Photosynthetic)
Predators
- Beavers
- Muskrats
- Waterfowl
ThreatsHabitat loss, water pollution, and invasive aquatic weeds
HabitatsPonds, lakes, slow rivers, and marshes
Life spanPerennial (tubers and long-lived seed bank)
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyNelumbonaceae
- SpeciesNelumbo lutea
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Spotting: Look for massive round leaves floating or raised on stiff stalks above quiet water.
- Seasonal timing: Flowers open in mid-summer, blooming during the day for several consecutive mornings.
- Observation: Avoid wading into soft mud beds where tender tubers are rooted.
Ecological Neighbor "fragrant water lily" by USFWS Headquarters is licensed under CC BY 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/. · cc-by
Co-occurring Species 
Habitat Companion no rights reserved, uploaded by Nonbinary-Naturalist · cc0
Close Relative (c) Surabhi Srivastava, some rights reserved (CC BY), uploaded by Surabhi Srivastava · cc-by
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