Green Tiger Lotus (Nymphaea zenkeri 'Green') Care Guide
The Green Tiger Lotus (Nymphaea zenkeri 'Green') is a bulb water lily (Nymphaeaceae) grown for its broad spotted leaves and night-blooming flowers in freshwater tanks.
Overview
The Green Tiger Lotus is the green-leaved form of the tiger lotus, a bulb water lily of the family Nymphaeaceae. It grows from a tuber and produces both submerged leaves near the bulb and large floating leaves on long stems, along with fragrant night-blooming flowers. Leaf color ranges from green to red-brown with varying purple spotting.
Taxonomy
- Family: Nymphaeaceae
- Genus: Nymphaea
- Scientific name: Nymphaea zenkeri 'Green'
- Common name: green tiger lotus
Habitat
Tiger lotus plants of this group originate from Africa, in particular West Africa, where Nymphaea lotus grows as a rhizomatous perennial in warm waters and produces nocturnal, fragrant flowers.
Tank requirements
- Temperature: 22-28 °C (72-82 °F)
- pH: 5.5-7.5
- GH: 3-14 °dGH
- Height: 20-50+ cm
- Lighting: medium
- CO2: not required
- Substrate: nutrient-rich
- Placement: midground / centerpiece
Growth and care
Growth is medium and the plant is undemanding. A nutrient-rich bottom encourages strong growth and large leaves. To keep the plant in its submerged form, surface-reaching floating leaves are trimmed; otherwise the lotus will increasingly produce lily-pad leaves at the surface.
Propagation
When growing well, the parent bulb may form small daughter bulbs that can be detached and replanted. The bulb should be only partly buried so that shoots stay above the substrate, as a fully buried bulb can rot.