Different Types of Lotus Flowers by Colour, Size and Petal Form

Botanically there are only two true lotus species, yet a lotus nursery catalogue can list hundreds of names. The reason is breeding. Gardeners in China have selected lotus for more than two thousand years, and modern breeders in China, Japan, Thailand and the United States keep adding new varieties every year.

So when people ask about the different types of lotus, they usually mean these cultivated varieties. This guide explains the four ways growers sort them (colour, plant size, petal count and flower shape) and then introduces ten well-known varieties. If you want to know which wild plants are called lotus, see our botanical guide to types of lotus.

How growers classify lotus

Chinese horticulturists developed the system most growers follow today. It groups each variety by:

1. Plant size, from tiny bowl lotus to giants taller than a person.
2. Petal count, from simple single flowers to "thousand-petal" forms.
3. Flower colour, judged on the first day the flower opens.
4. Flower shape, from flat plates to round balls.

Researchers at Auburn University worked with Chinese experts and the International Waterlily and Water Gardening Society to suggest a shared international version of this system. Nurseries mix elements from both, but the categories below are what you will meet most often.

Types of lotus by colour

Pink lotus

Pink is the natural colour of most wild sacred lotus and still the most common in gardens. Shades run from soft blush to hot magenta. Pink is also the colour most closely tied to the Buddha in Buddhist art, which we discuss in lotus flower meaning.

White lotus

White lotus occurs naturally in Nelumbo nucifera and has been selected into many pure-white and cream varieties. White forms are often strongly scented and look especially bright at dusk.

Red lotus

True deep red is rarer than pink. Chinese breeders have produced several rich red varieties, and the colour is popular for festivals and weddings in East Asia.

Yellow lotus

Yellow comes from the American lotus, Nelumbo lutea. Crossing it with the Asian species gave breeders soft yellows, apricots and creams that did not exist in Asian lotus before.

Bi-colour and multi-colour lotus

Growers call flowers with more than one colour "versicolor." The most common pattern is white or cream petals with red or pink tips. Some Sino-American hybrids show three colours at once: white, yellow and red.

Changeable lotus

Many lotus flowers change colour over their three-day life. A bloom may open deep pink, turn pink and yellow on the second day and fade to cream on the third. This is why growers record a variety's colour on its first day.

What about blue or purple lotus?

There is no blue true lotus. Flowers sold as "blue lotus" are water lilies, usually Nymphaea caerulea. Some pink lotus varieties have a lavender tint, which is as close as Nelumbo gets to purple.

Types of lotus by plant size

Size is partly genetic and partly about space. The same variety grown in a small pot stays far smaller than it would in open mud, and sunlight and feeding make a big difference too. "Bowl lotus" (wan lian in Chinese) were bred specifically to flower in containers less than about 28 cm (11 in) wide.

Types of lotus by petal count

• Single (few-petal): fewer than about 20 to 25 petals. The seed head is clearly visible, and seed production is high.
• Semi-double: roughly 25 to 50 petals.
• Double (multi-petal): more than 50 petals, often with petal-like stamens.
• Thousand-petal: a special double form with several hundred or even a thousand-plus petals packed into a ball. The name comes from Chinese horticulture, and "thousand" means "very many" rather than an exact count.

Double and thousand-petal flowers usually make fewer seeds, because some stamens and carpels have turned into extra petals.

Types of lotus by flower shape

1. Plate: petals open nearly flat.
2. Bowl: petals open wide, then curve up at the tips.
3. Cup: petals stay upright, like a tea cup.
4. Ball: many petals overlap into a globe.
5. Flying or dancing: petals splay irregularly, giving a loose, airy look.

10 popular lotus varieties to know

Several of these, including 'Charles Thomas', 'Mrs. Perry D. Slocum', 'Empress' and 'Shiroman', grow in the public ponds of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens in Washington, D.C., where you can see them flower from late June to August.

How to choose the right type for your space

• Balcony or patio: choose a bowl or dwarf variety in a wide, watertight pot without drainage holes.
• Small pond: a dwarf or medium variety in a large container keeps it from spreading.
• Large pond or lake: large varieties make the boldest show but need room and full sun.
• Short summers: pick early-flowering varieties, since lotus needs warm water to bloom.
• Seed pods for crafts: single-flowered types make the best dried pods.

Whatever you grow, give it at least six hours of sun, heavy loam or clay soil rather than potting mix, and keep the rhizome tips from being buried too deeply or snapped. In cold areas, protect the rhizomes from freezing over winter.

Frequently asked questions