Zone Hardiness

• Nelumbo lutea is hardy from USDA Zones 4 to 11 and can therefore survive in northern California, which includes climate zones 6a through 9b. Minimum winter temperatures range from -10 degrees Fahrenheit to 30 degrees F. Coastal areas tend to be the warmest.
  
  

Root Survival

• The most important factor in lotus survival is viability of the roots or rhizomes. As long as the roots do not freeze, the plant will survive. Exposure to very long periods of minimum winter temperatures, even in areas where lotus are normally hardy, may cause the roots to freeze.
  
  

Culture

• Lotus roots grow in mud at the bottoms of shallow bodies of water (up to 8 feet deep) or in loam-filled pots in man-made pools or ponds. Full sun is necessary for optimum flowering. The plants can be grown from seed or from rhizome divisions.