The plant is native to many parts of Asia including Thailand, and is the most popular water plant in Thailand.

The flowers are pink or white, and the round, flat leaves that float on the water are covered with microscopic hairs which keeps them dry when it is raining.

Lotus flowers open in early morning and close by mid-afternoon. After about three days, the petals fall off, leaving a soft yellow seed pod containing many seeds.

The lotus is a sacred plant to Buddhists. It is used as an offering in the temples. In Thailand you can see them in almost every garden with a pond, or in large decorative pots filled with water.

The lotus of Thailand belongs to the water-lily family of plants.