Nymphaea lotus / Star lotus: description, growing tips & health benefits

                             Nymphaea lotus / Star lotus
Shaluk (in bengali) flower is commonly known as Nymphaea lotus,  star lotus . It is a aquatic plant native to India and South-east Asia. It may rise above the surface of the water as much as 1 meter in height.The toothed floating leaves vary from being elliptic-oval to almost circular, and are 15-26 cm across. The leaves are papery and have fine hair on them.White flowers are 5-15 cm in diameter, with 12-14 shiny petals, and rise above the water. There are red and pink varieties too.Hindu literature.Fruit a spongy berry, 4.5 in diameter, ripening under water enclosed by persistent sepals. The propagation of the plant is caused by seeds and by bulb. It is the national flower of  Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Botanical name:  Nymphaea pubescens

Family :Nymphaeaceae

Life cycle:  Perennial

Plant height :  1meter

Leaf Colour: Green

Flower Colour: Pink, White, Yellow, purple

Climate : Tropical, subtropical

Advantage: Easy to grow

Growing tips:

• Do not over fertilize plants, you'll feed the algae that turn pond water green.
• Do not overfeed the fish or have too many fish for the size of the pond.
• Remove decaying vegetation.
• Make sure 60 percent of the pond is shaded by lily pads or other plants.
• Keep water well-oxygenated with aerators, fountains, or waterfalls.
• Don't kill algae with chemical treatments,  that will hurt plants, fish, and beneficial bacteria that live in the pond.

Uses:

•  Star lotus is very famous in hindu riligious in puja. 
• It is also used as vegetable.
• It is used in medical purpose or herbal product or mdicine