Red tiger lotus plant

[Zagz]

Do these plants flower? I swear I have a flower coming out of mine. The plant started out as a bulb, stayed a bulb for 3 weeks and then shot out leaves like mad! They are huge. I am posting a pic that hopefully you can tell if it is a flower or not. Strangely enough, yesterday the flower/leaf was 3" tall today it is over 8" tall! How in the world is that possible?????

Please excuse the algae, having my first outbreak. Am working on it.

Here's what it looked like 2 weeks ago.

 

[happygirl65]

I had one do this....I thought it was floating at first...then realized it was still attached. It turned out to be just a leaf but soon after it broke off, the plant seemed to produce a new bulb at the base and now I have two! Maybe it was a coincidence but mine never produces a flower, but then I really only have med-med-high light.

Let me know if it does turn out to be a flower, that would be so cool! I think they are a really beautiful and interesting plant!

 

[Purrbox]

This should clarify things.

It looks like a leaf that hasn't finished opening to me. I'd guess that it's just trying to be a floating leaf. If you like the compact growth you're best off removing it now, however if you don't mind floating leaves and would like to try to get it to flower then let it be.

 

[Zagz]

Thanks guys! Joy I think I will let it be for a bit, it overnight grew the rest of the way to the top of the tank! Is it normal for them to grow 18" in only 48 hours? Good thing all plants don't grow that fast. That would not be funny.

 

[happygirl65]

Thanks guys! Joy I think I will let it be for a bit, it overnight grew the rest of the way to the top of the tank! Is it normal for them to grow 18" in only 48 hours? Good thing all plants don't grow that fast. That would not be funny.

No kidding....I can see it now...a jungle in the house, of unparalelled proportions!

 

[Zagz]

Just discovered something else about the red lotus. I am deathly allergic. Was doing a pwc on the tank and the leaf was brushing up against my arm. I broke out in blisters and shortly after starting having trouble breathing. Hubby got me my allergy meds and some cortisone for the blisters. Burns like wild fire. Go figure, I'd be allergic to the dang thing.

 

[An t-iasg]

Wow, sorry to hear about your bad luck. Hope you're feeling better!

 

[happygirl65]

Just discovered something else about the red lotus. I am deathly allergic. Was doing a pwc on the tank and the leaf was brushing up against my arm. I broke out in blisters and shortly after starting having trouble breathing. Hubby got me my allergy meds and some cortisone for the blisters. Burns like wild fire. Go figure, I'd be allergic to the dang thing.

Oh my! As my son would say....that really reeks! Sorry to hear about that. It is such a pretty plant.

 

[kangarooooooooo]

i just ordered a tiger lotus and received a bulb. do i just stick it in the gravel? it's very small about the size of my thumb nail around.

 

[Zagz]

No just let it sit on the substrate until some roots come out. If you bury it it doesn't do anything. I had mine buried for a couple of weeks and nothing. Put it on top of the substrate and it rooted in 2 days!

 

[pitt420dude]

Wow, sounds like Tiger lotus might be a cousin to fire coral. Sorry to hear about your reaction, but it's great your plant is doing so well (for the plant anyway, not for your skin).

 

[neilanh]

I read this thread yesterday, the part about you being allergic. I had ordered one of these and it came in yesterday, last night after I planted it I was working in the tank and my arm rubbed against it several times. I swear my arm started burning, but there's nothing there. It was all mental, and because of this thread, I just know it.

 

[pitt420dude]

^ Ha, lol. It's like when you "think" you feel something crawling on you while you're in bed...better to just go back to sleep and not think about it becasue 99% of the time it's all mental.

 

[Zagz]

I read this thread yesterday, the part about you being allergic. I had ordered one of these and it came in yesterday, last night after I planted it I was working in the tank and my arm rubbed against it several times. I swear my arm started burning, but there's nothing there. It was all mental, and because of this thread, I just know it.

LOL it may not be mental, you may not be allergic but it may be irritating to you. Keep an eye out that you don't end up with a rash or reaction.

 

[neilanh]

I've been watching. No reaction

 

[pitt420dude]

Whew, that would have been a pain in the...um...epidermis?

 

[waterbouy18]

in order for certain plants like this tiger lotus and other plants to bloom a flower, it needs a certain amount of light in the red spectrum.

white/blue = vegetation stage
yellow/red = flowering stage

although lower end spectrum light (red) tends to promote algae too.