Image – Flickr / Teresa Grau Ros
Lotus are herbaceous plants that are widely grown in gardens and on land that has lost nutrients. They produce small, but pretty, colored flowers with high ornamental value. They do not need much care, since they are very rustic. In fact, we just have to make sure they are in a sunny spot.
Of course, if we want we can pay them with a fertilizer that is specific for flower plants. But apart from that you don’t have to be very aware of them; just enjoy them. So take a look at the different types of Lotus that you can have in your garden.
What types of Lotus are there?
The genus Lotus is made up of about 150 species. All of them are herbs, annual or perennial, of the Fabaceae family (legumes) found throughout the world. These are the best known varieties:
lotus berthelotii
Image – Wikimedia Commons / JGkatz
It is known as pigeon beak, and is a perennial herb with creeping stems. Its height is about 20 centimeters, but it can extend approximately 50 or 60 centimeters. The leaves are linear and green in color, although they are covered by a large number of short white “hairs”, giving the impression that they are bluish. The flowers are grouped in number from 2 to 6, they are red or orange and have a beak shape.
It is an endangered species. It grows on the island of Tenerife, and only in La Orotava and in Granadilla. Despite this, it can be grown as a garden plant.
bathed corniculate
The bathed corniculate a creeping perennial herbaceous plant known as corniculate lotus, criollo clover or zapaticos de la virgen. It can reach a height of up to 40 centimeters maximum, but the most normal thing is that it does not exceed 20 centimeters. The leaves are green, and are made up of five leaflets that are arranged in such a way that it looks like the fingers of a hand. Its flowers are a beautiful yellow color.
It grows in Europe, and in North Africa. It is a plant that is widely used as food for sheep, so it is also widely cultivated in the United States and Canada.
washed Cretan
Image – Wikimedia Commons / Colforn
It is called sea horn and it is a perennial herb with creeping stems up to 150 centimeters in length. These are covered by numerous very short grayish hairs. Its flowers are yellow, and are grouped in inflorescences composed of 2 to 7 flowers.
The washed Cretan (before lotus cytisoides) is native to the Mediterranean region, specifically the grasslands and sandy areas of the coast.
bathed in gladness
Image – Wikimedia / Kristian Peters – Fabelfroh
The bathed in gladness it is a perennial herb that grows up to 40 centimeters tall. The leaves are made up of several green leaflets. Its changing flowers are yellow, small, and are grouped in inflorescences.
It is a species native to southern Europe and southwestern Asia. Its cultivation is very interesting, since it tolerates salt, and does not need many nutrients. For this reason, it can be used to repopulate poor soils.
the lotus reigns
Image – Biological Invasions
The the lotus reigns It is a herbaceous plant with creeping stems known as yerbamuda de Jinámar. It is up to 30 centimeters tall, and has stems covered in a greyish-white garment. The flowers are grouped in inflorescences and are yellow.
It lives only in the east of the island of Gran Canaria, where it is critically endangered due to loss of habitat.
lotus ornithopodioides
Image – Wikimedia / Kristian Peters – Fabelfroh
It is known as a king’s crown, little horn or crow’s foot, and it is an annual cycle herb that reaches a height of 30-35 centimeters. The leaves are made up of three small, greenish leaflets. The flowers are yellow insteadand appear in groups of 4-5. Special mention should be made of the fruits, which are legumes that usually appear three at a time, and that resemble the feet of a rooster.
It is a native plant of the Mediterranean region. In Spain we find it in Catalonia, the Valencian Community and in the Balearic Islands. It grows in meadows, roadsides and also in cultivated fields.
lotus pedunculatus
Image – Wikimedia / André Karwath
Known as lotra, Cuernecillo grande or Chiloé alfalfa, it is a perennial herb characterized by having erect, branched stems that reach a height of up to 1 meter. The leaves are made up of 5 green leaflets, and produces yellow flowers that are arranged in heads.
Lives in Europe, particularly in meadows and meadows, rivers, wetlands. We will almost always see it in acid soils, and not so much in alkaline ones. It is widely cultivated for use as fodder.
What uses do the Lotus have?
Although there are some species that are in danger of extinction such as the L. kunkeliithe rest It is used both to beautify gardens and to serve as food for livestock.
Some are even very effective at repopulating a soil that has suffered a lot, that is to say, that has ended up almost without nutrients.
What do you think of these plants?
