The lotus flower is an annual plant that lives in water. These plants are often likened to water lilies even though the two are different and not related. The similarity lies only in their habitat that grows in muddy soil or above water. Lotus is a species of aquatic plant that belongs to the genus Nymphaea Nelumbo family.
Lotus produces a fragrant aroma with broad leaves floating on the surface of the water. This beautiful flower has become a symbol of purity and has benefits as a powerful herbal remedy for various diseases. Lotus flower seeds are also useful as a food ingredient.
This flower, which comes from India and Vietnam, is a plant that can live in all seasons except winter because the water freezes. This plant can grow from 1 to 2 meters. Because of its beauty and unique habitat compared to other flowers, lotus is very popular among flower enthusiasts. This flower is suitable for you to beautify your home garden. Especially if you have a fish pond, they will add to the beauty of your pond.
As with other flowers, the lotus also has the meaning of life in its flowers. They represent spirituality in human life. Lotus is a symbol of clarity of heart and mind. Others also believe that the lotus is also a symbol of the origin of strength, luck, and life. Therefore, this flower, which is often called a sacred flower, also symbolizes birth and beauty.
In general, the sacred lotus has meaning in each flower color. The white lotus flower is the most popular lotus among other colors. Like the color, white lotus has a meaning of grace, beauty, purity of mind, wealth, knowledge, faith, and fertility. The pink lotus flower is a symbol of the highest, holy and honorable place. Red lotus flower means unconditional love, passion, affection, kindness, passion, and generosity.
Blue lotus represents meaning as a source of knowledge to control emotions, worldly aspirations, and senses. The purple lotus flower is a sign of connection with the mystical world. They also represent self-awakening. While the black lotus flower represents darkness, which symbolizes authority and power, rebellion, sophistication, and death.
Although the lotus flower can be interpreted in general, the lotus flower also has different meanings for each religion.
1. Buddhism
In Buddhism, the lotus is a flower that generally represents spiritual awakening, devotion, and purity. This belief stems from the appearance of flowers from muddy water. It means the act of rising despite challenges and moving towards the light of wisdom, vigor, rebirth, beauty, fertility, and awakening.
The water lotus philosophy is fundamental for self-introspection in daily life in the present and future. The lotus plant certainly doesn’t take bad things from the dirty water. But they are filtering and absorbing the elements needed to produce beautiful flowers.
2. Christianity
Whereas in Christianity, they represent the purity and creation of the universe. The meaning of this flower replaces the lily, which is related to Mary in the Bible, which is the queen of paradise.
3. Hinduism
The meaning of the lotus flower in Hinduism is almost like Buddhism. The lotus flower is considered to represent the purity of mind and soul. In Asian religions and cultures, especially in Hinduism, the lotus is the symbolism of perfection. It is defined as the soul’s state to achieve the happiness of life with a clean conscience.
It is because the lotus flower symbolizes the life that begins in the water. It is the same as the Hindu religion, where the lotus’s creation comes from the plant. On the other hand, the pink lotus is also the seat of Hindu Gods such as Lakshmi, Saraswati, Brahma, and Ganesha.
Whereas in the era of Ancient Egypt, they have a meaning of the sun and rebirth. The meaning comes from the Egyptian belief regarding the blooming of the lotus. Where the lotus will bud when the sun sets and will bloom fresh again at sunrise. That is what gives them the meaning of rebirth and the sun. The color of the sacred Egyptian lotus that fits this thought is the Egyptian blue lotus.
As we know, the lotus is often confused with water lilies. However, they are different and have nothing to do with it except their habitat in water. So what are the differences between a lotus and a water lily?
1. The Petals
The petals of the lotus flower are almost round and large, with not too many irregular shapes. The flower color varies between yellow, white, and pink. Meanwhile, water lilies have long and pointed petals and are neatly stacked. The color of the lotus flower is more diverse, ranging from white, yellow, pink, and purple.
2. The Stem
The lotus stem grows upwards with an average length of one meter or up to 2 meters. The flowers don’t float on the surface of the water but are outside the water. Meanwhile, the water lily has a stem that doesn’t grow upwards, and the flowers remain floating on the water’s surface.
3. The Leaves
The lotus leaves are round without splits and the edges are wavy with the same color on the upper and lower leaves. The lotus leaves also have a waxy coating similar to moringa leaves. In contrast to water lily leaves have a slit on one side even though they are both rounds in shape. The lotus leaf edges are serrated and tend to be purplish on the underside and the top of the leaves.
After you know the lotus flower meaning above, it’s a good idea to pay attention to the following lotus plant care. To plant a lotus, it takes two months to plant the seedlings. The first thing to do is sowing the seeds. Place the lotus seeds in a bucket filled with water until roots appear on the seeds. Seedling media needs to be treated by changing the water two times a day in the morning and evening.
After two weeks or the roots have grown three pieces with a length of 3-5 cm, the seeds are ready for planting. Then move the seeds to the media or a wider pool. If you don’t have a large pool, you can plant it in a large pot with no holes. Just fill in the soil and fertilizer at the bottom and fill the water until stagnant. Make sure the roots touch the ground. Just give fertilization treatment every two months and place it in direct sunlight that isn’t windy. With easy maintenance, you will get a beautiful view of lotus blossoms on your homepage.