Elegant Mrs. Perry Slocum Lotus: Nature’s Color-Shifting Beauty

The Mrs. Perry Slocum, often referred to as Lady Perry, is a perennial aquatic herb and one of the most prestigious varieties of lotus. This variety boasts incredibly large blooms, with a diameter reaching 27 centimeters.

The remarkable feature of this flower is its color-changing ability: starting as a delicate orange-pink, turning to pink, then turning yellow with a hint of pink at the tips on the third day. Its blooming season begins in early June, producing a dense array of flowers.

The elegant shape of the flowers and their unique, changing colors make them the center of attention. Introduced to the United States in 2001, this cultivated variety is frequently used in parks and courtyards for ornamental purposes.

I. Characteristics and Features

The Mrs. Perry Slocum is a perennial aquatic herb. Its rhizomes grow horizontally, are thick and swell at the internodes, which contain numerous longitudinal air channels. The nodes are constricted, with black scaly leaves growing above and adventitious roots growing below.

The leaves are round and shield-shaped, ranging from 25 to 90 cm in diameter, slightly wavy at the margins, smooth on the top, and covered in white powder. The veins on the underside radiate from the center, branching once or twice.

The leaf stalk is robust and cylindrical, 1-2 meters long, hollow, and scattered with small thorns. The flower stem is as long or slightly longer than the leaf stalk, also scattered with small thorns.

The flowers are beautiful and fragrant, with a diameter of 10-20 cm; their petals are red, pink, or white, rectangular, elliptical to inverted ovate, 5-10 cm long, 3-5 cm wide, gradually decreasing in size from the outside in, sometimes turning into stamens, blunt or slightly pointed at the ends.

The anthers are linear, the filaments are slender, attached below the receptacle; the column is extremely short, with the style at the top; the receptacle (lotus room) is 5-10 cm in diameter.

The nut is elliptical or ovate, 1.8-2.5 cm long, the fruit skin is leathery, hard, dark brown when ripe; the seeds (lotus seeds) are ovate or elliptical, 1.2-1.7 cm long, the seed coat is red or white. The flowering period is from June to August, and the fruiting period is from August to October.

This variety was introduced from the United States in April 2001. It is large in size. The upright leaves are yellow-green and the petioles are dark green, lush, 44 cm high, with a diameter of 43×49 cm.

The flower stem is 72 cm high, and the flower diameter is 27 cm. The flowers are double petaled, with 70 petals. The flower shape is bowl-like. The flower buds are peach-shaped, orange-pink.

The flowers change from orange-pink to pink, with a yellow base, and turn yellow on the third day, with a hint of pink at the tips. The stamens are slightly petaloid, and the pistil is normal.

The elegant shape of the flowers and their unique, changing colors make them a center of attention. The blooming season begins in early June, with a dense array of flowers.

II. Living Habits

Cultivated in ponds or paddy fields, this aquatic plant prefers relatively stable, calm, shallow waters, such as swamps, marshlands, and ponds. The water requirements of the lotus are determined by its variety.

Large varieties require a deeper water level, but not exceeding 5.5 feet. Medium and small varieties are suitable for water depths of 8-20 inches. The lotus is very sensitive to water loss; in summer, just 3 hours without watering can cause the leaves to wilt.

If water is withheld for a day, the edges of the leaves will become scorched and the buds will wither. The lotus also loves light and needs full sunlight during the growing season. It cannot tolerate shade; if grown in semi-shaded areas, it will exhibit strong phototropism.

III. Cultivation Methods

Seed Propagation

First, the seed shell must be broken. In May and June, the concave end of the seeds is ground on a cement floor or rough stone to break the shell, and then they are soaked for germination.

Keep the water clean and change it frequently. The seedlings will sprout in about a week and can be transplanted two weeks later, with each pot containing one plant.

The water level should be shallow, and the leaves should not be submerged. About 90% of the plants can bloom in the first year, but the number of blooms will be few.

Tuber Propagation

Mid-March to mid-April is the best time to transplant lotus tubers. If planted too early, they can be affected by cold weather and are prone to frost damage.

In northern regions, transparent agricultural film can be used for protection during cold snaps. Before planting, the pot soil should be mixed to a paste-like consistency.

When planting, the top end of the tuber should be inserted into the soil at a 20-degree angle along the edge of the pot. Bowl lotuses should be about 2 inches deep and large varieties about 4 inches deep.

The tail end should be lifted halfway to prevent it from entering the water. After planting, place the pot in the sunlight to allow the surface soil to develop micro-cracks, which will help the tuber adhere better to the soil.

Then add a small amount of water. Gradually increase the water level as the buds grow, finally maintaining a water layer of 1-2 inches.

The water level in the pond in the early stages of planting should be the same as in the pot, but later it should not submerge the lotus leaves.

IV. Value and Other Information

Lotus roots are excellent vegetables and candied fruit. The lotus culture offers a richness of culinary delights, including traditional dishes like lotus seed porridge, candied lotus root, lotus root powder, lotus root slices with pork, lotus leaf steamed meat, and lotus leaf porridge.

The leaves can be used as a tea substitute and also as packaging material.

The lotus has an exceptional ability to adapt to its growing environment. It can thrive in lakes and ponds of all sizes, and even in small pots, enhancing the beauty of any setting with its grace. Cultivated varieties are often grown in pots for display in parks and courtyards.