Tiger lotus

Care at a glance

Overview

A striking centerpiece or midground bulb plant. Press the tuber about a third into a rich substrate with the growing crown left exposed so it will not rot, and feed with root tabs plus water-column dosing. Brighter light and extra iron pull out the red and keep it compact, while low light sends it up into floating lily pads; trim those surface pads off at the bulb to keep it bushy and stop it shading the rest of the tank. CO2 is optional but improves color and form, and it offsets new daughter bulbs you can separate.

In the wild

A water lily from still and slow waters across West and tropical Africa, growing rooted in soft mud with leaves rising toward the surface. In the hobby it is the red and green spotted form long imported from West Africa under the name zenkeri. It is widely treated as a color form of Nymphaea lotus var. lotus.

Good to know

A true water lily in Nymphaeaceae growing from a rounded tuber (bulb). Nymphaea zenkeri is regarded by current taxonomy as a synonym of Nymphaea lotus var. lotus, and aquarium stock shows a full range of green to deep red, hence the green and red tiger lotus trade names. Submersed leaves are heart-shaped with dark tiger-like blotches.

Did you know

Did you know the same bulb can look like a completely different plant depending on light, staying low and blood-red under strong lighting but shooting long-stemmed green lily pads to the surface when it is shaded.

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