How Long Do Tiger Lotus Bulbs Take to Sprout?

Sprouting

• Tiger lotus plants propagate either by seed or rhizome, which is a type of bulb. Healthy tiger lotus rhizomes sprout in abouteven s days, according to H.A. Mohammed and R.O. Awodoyin, authors of the research article "Growth Ecology of an Aquatic Macrophyte Nymphaea lotus Linn from Nigerian Inland-water." The vast majority of the bulbs in the study, however, rotted within 14 days rather than sprouted. This highlights the importance of choosing healthy, firm bulbs to plant.

Climate

• Tiger lotus bulbs won't sprout at all if conditions aren't right. These warmth-loving plants are hardy outdoors in tropical areas only. In the United States, they are found outdoors in Florida and Louisiana and grow best in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9b through 11. Because of their intolerance of cold conditions, tiger lotus bulbs are often grown indoors in freshwater aquariums.

Culture

• Tiger lotus bulbs anchor themselves to the substrate with small, fine roots. Although they will anchor to aquarium gravel, they grow best in nutritious substrate. For this reason, some home gardeners prefer to plant the bulbs in heavy soil in pots and then submerge the pots. An added bonus to this method is that the pots will help control the size of the plant. The plants prefer soft, slightly acidic water but will adapt to hard water and other pH conditions.

Considerations

• Tiger lotus plants can grow quite large -- up to 3 feet in some cases. The leaves can grow to lengths over a foot and often float on the surface of the water, providing shelter and shade for fish. Growth is rapid, so home gardeners cultivating these plants in aquariums may choose to trim to control for size by clipping off some of the leaves. Note that flowers will not develop unless several floating leaves are allowed to develop, however.