Nelumbo Little Antelope - Dwarf lotus

Nelumbo nucifera 'Little Antelope' is an adorable small lotus perfectly suited for growing in pots, bowls, or mini-ponds. This dwarf variety bears white, almost single, cup-shaped flowers held above the water. Its round, emergent foliage has the characteristic habit of lotus plants, but in a reduced size better suited to small spaces. It is an interesting cultivar for including a true Sacred Lotus on a terrace, in a courtyard, or by a small water feature.

The Sacred Lotus belongs to the Nelumbonaceae family. Nelumbo nucifera is a rhizomatous aquatic perennial, native to Asia and northern Australia, rooted in mud or heavy substrate. It is distinctly different from water lilies: its peltate leaves and flowers are held above the surface by long petioles, whereas water lilies most often develop floating foliage. The rounded, slightly waxy laminae repel water, which slides off their surface in droplets.

'Little Antelope' is distributed commercially under its English name, but it corresponds to the Chinese cultivar 'Xiao Lingyang', a name under which it also appears in botanical collections and with specialist nurseries. It is a dwarf lotus intended for container cultivation. Its growth remains compact, generally around 33 cm in height. Its white flowers have a fairly flat cup shape, they are often single, sometimes semi-double, with fewer than 20 petals. The bright green to yellow-green centre of the flower is surrounded by well-contrasted golden stamens. Flowering spreads from June-July to August-September, depending on the climate. The flowers measure 5 to 10 cm in diameter, a good size for a plant of this stature. The foliage is proportionate, upright, less expansive than that of large-growing lotus, but dense enough to give the container a full appearance throughout the growing season. As with other hardy lotus, the foliage yellows and then disappears in autumn, while the rhizome enters dormancy.

Due to its limited growth, this cultivar is ideal for pots, bowls, half-barrels, patio ponds, and well-exposed mini-ponds. Plant in a watertight container at least 25 cm wide and 10 to 25 cm deep in heavy garden soil, clayey or loamy, never in light potting compost. Place the rhizome almost level with the substrate surface, without burying the growth shoots, and then keep it under 5 to 10 cm of water. Full sun is essential for good flowering.

In a small water garden, 'Little Antelope' is a main feature, where a more vigorous lotus would quickly run out of space. It can be combined, in a group of small ponds or aquatic containers, with other dwarf lotus such as 'Princess Abby of Ten-Mile Creek', 'Pygmaea Helvola', or 'Jin Hehuan'. In winter, the rhizome must remain frost-free: if the container is shallow, it should be submerged more deeply in autumn or sheltered from frost.