Hmmm pro's and cons, lotus v. waterlily
Well, there is a lot of variation in the waterlily fraternity in terms of size, and growing habit, from miniature to fifteen foot wide tropical varieties. Some are very well behaved, some are brutes.
There are very well behaved cold tolerant tropical waterlilies very suitable for naturalising, there are fabulous hardy hybrids which have superb flowering habits and well behaved growing habits, 'choice varieties'... There are ragamuffin 'coarse varieties', of which it might be said they have the merit that they can grow fast enough to cope with ravening hoards of turtles and ducks.
In a native setting, it might be good to have a two fold strategy, to establish a few strong growing 'coarse' varieties which in future are to be harshly culled to establish a desireable 'bridghead' of aquatic plants, to later add the more vulnerable 'choice' varieties when it becomes apparent the battle to plant the pond with desireable varieties becomes feasible...
The lotus are a different beasty... They can spread by runner at the rate of six foot per month, they can drop seed that can pop up all over the place. A large pond or lake might be choked in just a few years.
If you can rigorously control the area lotus grow in and weed the seeds that drift and start up, not so bad. Most critters will find all parts of lotus edible and tasty, muskrats may destroy a colony. No surprise, lotus is a delicacy in many oriental cultures
Perhaps, try lotus in a bay with a narrow mouth where it is easy to rip the stray runners out, that would make a pleasant sheltered spot for spawn and fry.
Or, using a sturdy pond liner, make an enclosure where lotus can romp, but ruthlessly cull any lotus runners that stray out of their enclosure... A shape of blocks into which you lay a sturdy liner, two foot deep in the body of a lake might make a safe place to unleash the lotus beast...
There is a brief period in early Summer, when lotus are magnificent, huge blooms, tremendous scent. Through the rest of the year the very durable spent foliage is tatty and their fast growing, choking growing habit is a bane...
Regards, andy
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