# planting Nymphaea lotus, Barclaya Longifolia



## wantabe23 (Apr 6, 2005)

Excited about these plants. I recently bought an orchid lily and a tiger lotus at my LFS. The books that I have say the lotus grows from a tuber, and that it should be planted with the top of the crown showing. The tiger lotus has three leaves on it that go to the top of the water; so how should I plant it to where it will stay down long enough to grow roots to hold it. And it looks like the lotus is comming from a bulb right now, will it become a tuber? And as for the orchid lily, do I plant it the same way as the lotus? 
One more question, what is the difference between the lotuses people get for aquariums and the ones one would get for a pond, or a lily for that mater?

Thanks for you time


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## Robert Hudson (Feb 5, 2004)

Tuber and bulb are the same thing. Tiger Lotus bulbs, (Nymphaea) are round and about the size of a cherry. The plant can be de-tached from the bulb and the bulb will then produce another plant. I found it best to simply leave the bulb sitting on top of the gravel instead of burying any portion of it. When the bulb is buried it is more likely to rot.

Barclaya bulbs do not always germinate. They can lay dormant for years. I don't bury them either.

Nymphaea is a family of water lilly species. What is called Tiger Lotus is a Nymphea specie native to Africa. There are cold water species of Nymphea native to this country. The true "Lotus" lilly is not a Nymphaea specie.


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## Cavan Allen (Jul 22, 2004)

specie*S*!

The plants we grow in aquariums are _Nymphaea_ just like many pond plants. If they are not trimmed down and kept in check, they will make it to the surface and grow the typical floating leaves we see. Their submersed leaves are really only present to sustain the plant until it can reach the surface. If you don't keep it trimmed back it will 'know' that it can make it all the way there and only try to grow the floaters.

_Barclaya_ are essentially a water lilies with elongated leaves that don't grow and of the floating ones. See the Plant Finder for more information.


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## yildirim (Nov 25, 2004)

Hi,

If your tank is not big enough I don't suggest you to keep them as they grow BIG and shades everything. For keeping them small and underwater you should always prune the leaves aiming for the surface and also do not let them to grow large root system, prune the roots as well. Never bury bulbs.

YILDIRIM


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