Lotus

These are pretty ornamental plants, one of which is used as a vegetable. These tender and hardy perennials belong to the Pea family, Leguminosae. Some are found growing wild in the Canary Isles, Cape Verde Islands, the Mediterranean region, other parts of Europe and Asia, and some in North America.

Ornament - One of the most popular kinds is L. Berthelotti, the Coral Gem or Parrot's Beak. This pretty plant may be grown outdoors in mild climates; otherwise, it may be used as a houseplant, being especially nice in hanging baskets. The Coral Gem's foliage is silvery gray, fuzzy and finely divided into linear or thread-like segments. In the summer, clusters of large, beak or claw-like flowers are produced; they are orange-red to scarlet or purple. This spreading plant grows up to a foot high.

Winged Pea (L. tetragonolobus) - Growing stems up to 16 inches long and producing leaves comprised of 3 oval leaflets with some purplish-red flowers, these small plants are quite pretty; however, these trailing annuals are mainly cultivated for their edible pods and seeds. The pods grow up to 3 inches long and have 4 ribs or wings running from end to end. The pods also have a fibrous core, which is why they aren't more popular. The Winged Pea grows best in regions with long, cool springs.

Pot Cultivation

Ornament - The Coral Gem should be grown in soil consisting of two parts of sandy loam and one part of leaf mold. When its' going to be grown in a hanging basket, line the basket with moss and fill it with the soil mixture. Place two or three small plants in each basket; sprits and shade them until they are established, after which full sun exposure is required. Keep the soil moist, but well-drained, throughout the summer and during the winter, only water when the soil becomes dry. Weak liquid fertilizer should be given twice weekly when the flower buds are developing. The minimum temperature requirement is 40 degrees.

Winged Pea - These plants should be set a few inches apart in well drained soil at about the frost free date; if you can protect them from frost, then two weeks prior that date is even better. Plant them in raised beds if your soil is full of clay. In midsummer, after harvest, these plants die, except where summers are fairly cool. As soon as there are enough pods to make a meal, begin harvesting. Steam them with butter or herbed oil and eat them like artichoke leaves, throwing out the stringy center.

Propagation

Ornament - Seeds may be sown in containers of sandy soil in the spring. Cover the pot with a pane of glass and place in a 55-degree temperature. As the seedlings grow, they are transplanted to larger pots and eventually placed in their final positions. Cuttings of young shoots, about 2 inches long, may be inserted in pots of sand and covered with a bell jar until shoots form, after which they are treated as seedlings.

Winged Pea - On your first try, grow only a few plants. Start them early indoors by sowing seeds in peat pots.