INSIDE: One of the most ubiquitous symbols, the beautiful lotus flower has significance across many cultures and religions. Lotus meaning connects to ideas of spiritual enlightenment, cycles of rebirth, and self-realization. Read on to learn more!
Master horticulturists advise how perennials grow back year after year, at least for a few years. These low maintenance plants just need the proper growth conditions and good soil.
And then there’s the lotus flower, which makes the durability of perennials look like nothing!
Lotuses are aquatic plants that emerge from deep, thick, sludgy mud to blossom into stunning, delicate yet sturdy flowers.
They don’t just grow perennially. For instance, scientists found lotus seeds carbon dated dried lake beds in China to find the age of lotus seeds and discovered that some of them are nearly 500 years old and full lotus flowers have grown from them.
Some people have taken this as a sign of immortality, but the scientists point out that it isn’t a continuous life but rather a truly fascinating study in the steadfast durability of the plant.
Perhaps this adds muster to the lotus meaning throughout history since it’s a symbol of rebirth and regeneration and of the struggle against our human nature to reach spiritual consciousness.
What is a Lotus?
There are several species of lotus flowers that grow in the wild and are also cultivated for botanical gardens today. The lotus belongs to the Nelumbo genus of aquatic plants and to either the species Nelumbo nucifera or Nelumbo lutea.
Often, we link the lotus to water lilies because they often grow together. However, the lotus has unique characteristics that set it apart from any other flowers.
Physical Characteristics of the Lotus
The lotus grows in marshes, rivers, and lakes since they flourish in humid, wet climates. You can find lotus flowers in a range of colors, including white, pink, purple, red, blue, and gold, although the most common ones are white and pink.
In reality, however, this color only represents the outer shell of the disc-shaped flower. A lotus flower actually harbors two petal hues. Near the center of the lotus are yellow or yellow-green colored petals, and on the outside, white or pink.
These petals come layered around the hard center stigma where pollinators facilitate the plants reproduction. The layers seem ordered to slowly peel back and reveal a whole intact layer like an onion but with a subtle floral aroma.
Atop the water, lotuses actually root deep into the water through their strong stems that connect to the mud-layered bottom. It is this origin point that grants such depth in the lotus flower meaning.
Growth Process of the Lotus Flower
Beginning in murky water, the lotus seed germinates and sprouts underwater. While modern cultivation often places lotus flowers in more pristine ponds and man-made water features, lotus flowers naturally grow in less appealing environments.
Lotus flowers thrive in muddy water that is mostly stagnant, fostering the growth of natural debris like algae and attracting insects and fish. Even with layers of pond weeds, algae, and reeds, the lotus manages to emerge from below.
The seed sprouts and the thick stem reaches upward. Eventually, when it breaks the water’s surface, the flower can bloom. Some lotuses lie on the water while others extend and levitate above the surface.
Lotus flowers open during the day and then retreat back into the water. The petals tightly enclose the core of the flower, protecting the center from being tainted by the dirty waters around it.
It is an amazing feature, this inward retreat back into a flower bud. The bright outer petals maintain their vibrancy, protected inside as the flower withstands contact with mud and grime.
In its ability to survive these sopping conditions, scientists realized that the lotus flower has a human-like ability to regulate its internal temperature against its outer environment. This helps it maintain stasis and grow.
The Lotus in Modern Contexts
While the lotus flower has a deep history dating back over 145 million years, as found in ancient iconography, it still holds major influence and relevance in modern cultures. We’ll talk about the lotus meaning in the next section, but for now, let’s look at a few interesting contexts in the everyday.
You’ll find lotus in cultures around the world if you just look at your plate. In India, China, and some African countries, popular dishes incorporate parts of the lotus.
The seeds and tube-like stems have nutritional value that greatly supplement everyday diets. The lotus flower is therefore farmed to be used in recipes that range from main dishes to crispy snacks.
Owing to its pervasive presence in some regions and attached to its deep spiritual symbolism, two countries have deemed the lotus meaning significant to their national identities. Vietnam and India have named the lotus as their national flowers.
State iconography used the blue lotus…
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