MinneLotus

So ubiquitous is the lotus in Asian art and writing that it is easy to forget that it is native right here in Minnesota. American lotus (Nelumbo lutea) forms thick colonies in marshes and lake margins where its parasol-like leaves form massive carpets and become punctuated by massive faint yellow blooms in late July and early August. Native American ate the roots, seeds, and young leaves of this unique water plant.