Blossoms unfurl and fruits ripen simultaneously, with buds, flowers, and lotus spikes coexisting. In the Yangtze River basin, the phenological period is as follows: sprouting in early April, with floating leaves emerging in the middle of the month; the leaves rise above the water in mid-to-late May; flowering begins in early June, with the peak blooming period from late June to early August; the final blooming phase is in mid-September. July and August are the peak fruit ripening period; the rhizomes (lotus tubers) mature in mid-to-late September; and the stems and leaves turn yellow in mid-to-late October, marking the onset of dormancy. The entire growth cycle lasts approximately 160-190 days. Lotus flowers thrive in moisture and fear dryness, preferring relatively stable, still water and not liking water currents with extreme fluctuations. Planting lotus in ponds is ideal with water depths of 0.3-1.2 meters. When initially planting rhizomes, the water level should be between 20-40 centimeters.

At a depth of 1.5 meters, only a few floating leaves are visible, with no upright leaves, and flowering is impossible. If upright leaves remain submerged for more than 10 days, there is a risk of extinction. During the growing season, if water is lost but the soil remains moist, the plant may not die, but growth will be stunted. Watering within 10 days can restore growth. If the soil cracks for 3-5 days, the leaves will wither, and growth will halt; if water is absent for another 4-5 days, the lotus rhizomes will dry up and die. Lotus plants thrive in heat, and the temperature during planting should be at least 15℃. Growth halts when temperatures fall below 15℃ in autumn. Throughout the growing season, temperatures between 20-30℃ are ideal. High temperatures up to 41℃ (with water temperatures at only 26-27℃) have no impact on growth. When winter temperatures drop below 0℃, potted lotus rhizomes are susceptible to frost. Lotus plants prefer sunlight and cannot tolerate shade.

Under strong light, lotus flowers grow quickly and bloom early, but they wilt early as well; in weak light, although their growth is slower and blooming is delayed, they also wilt at a later stage. Lotus plants are not particular about soil, preferring fertile clay soils rich in organic matter. The ideal pH level is 6.50. They are less prone to pests and diseases, exhibit strong resistance to pests, and have some resistance to sulfur dioxide gases. The underground stems and roots, however, lose their resistance and die when exposed to toxic wastewater containing strong phenols, cyanides, and other harmful substances.