Product Overview
Nelumbo 'Mankala Pathum' Pink Bowl Water Lotus
Wow! If you want the best in a tiny lotus, look no further! Mankala Pathum is a bowl lotus with double petal pink blooms, starting very early and continuing all summer long. One of the very best in a small lotus, and a top bloomer among all lotus! Miniature lotus tend to be very temperamental -- Mankala Pathum is the toughest miniature we've had the pleasure of growing.
SIZE: Small to Medium (Height 2-3')
Planting Container: We recommend a 10" x 6" fabric pot to keep plant small for a small water feature, 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!
