Ken Bernard is the island’s true aquatic expert- Lotus can be distinguished from water lilies by the fact that they hold their leaves above the water when mature.
- Swami adds the small fish.
- Ken places the first lotus, the American Yellow, into its pot
- One of the water lilies is already blooming
- The lotus propagation area
- That tall pink plant is an aquatic carnivorous plant Ken brought.
- More to come…..
The Sage Continues
We have shared recently how lotuses that were once super abundant in our ponds were totally eaten by the ravenous tilapia fish some years back. Inspired by two pilgrims, we have successfully (with the help of Kauai’s lotus whisperer, Ken Bernard) established just yesterday seven lotuses in seven 130-gallon pots buried in the ground. Ken also brought water lilies and five fast-growing aquatic plants. These will provide interest in the pots when the lotuses naturally die back and hibernate. He also introduced some small red platies fish and a few small snails who, as they multiply, are to become the maintenance crew.
Ken brought an abundance and with the additional plants he and Sadasivanathaswami set up a small Water Garden Propagation Area with the idea that when these lotuses and water lilies in smaller pots bloom they can be displayed at the Iraivan Temple entrance for all pilgrims to enjoy for a few days or weeks.
We learned from Ken that there are only two true species of lotus on the planet, the Asian Sacred Lotus and the American Yellow Lotus. Ken remarked that their new home, being half Indian and half American is an apt place for these two. And, he added, lotuses have been on the Earth for 130 million years, and are among the earliest flowering plants.
Factoids
Lotus has several unusual features that fascinate botanists:
Thermal flowers
Some lotus flowers can regulate temperature slightly, which is rare among plants.
Extremely durable seeds
Sacred lotus seeds have germinated after more than 1,000 years. One famous Chinese lotus seed was dated to around 1,300 years old and successfully sprouted.