Species of Japan - The Lotus Flower (Nelumbo nucifera)

The Lotus Flower (Nelumbo nucifera), or 蓮 ハス (hasu) in Japanese, can be enjoyed nationwide during the summer, and even on Japans most northern Island Hokkaido where I photograph them on my summer Hokkaido nature tour.  To view them in their full glory, you must arrive in the early am, because the Lotus blooms in the morning.  The Lotus is a symbol of purity, love, and eloquence.  Hokkaido’s Red-crowned cranes also carry the same love and fidelity symbolism as they mate for life, and their expertly choreographed mating dances have earned them the name snow ballerinas, the best time to spot them is in winter during my annual Hokkaido photo tour.  The Lotus roots are planted in soil at the bottom of a pond or river, and the leaf stalks (petioles) can reach 200 cm (6 ft 7 in) in height, and the lotus blossom leaves reach diameters of 80 cm (31 in).  The flowers can be up to 30 cm (12 in) in diameter, but there have been particularly robust flower specimens reaching up to 35 cm (14 in).  The flowers bloom in pink, red, or white, but a rare variation of Lotus (Nymphaea nouchali var. caerulea) can be found in Africa along the Nile river.