Nymphaea Ortgiesiano-rubra, commonly called Pink Tiger Lotus is a tropical night-blooming water lily hybrid, a crossing between Nymphaea rubra (seed parent) and Nymphaea lotus (pollen parent).

The common name Pink Tiger Lotus is quite confusing, as Nymphaea Ortgiesiano-rubra isn`t a Lotus (Nelumbo), but a water lily (Nymphaea). Due to the extinction of Nelumbo aureavallis during or after the Ypresian age (early Eocene subepoch), there are just 2 living Lotus species known, Nelumbo lutea (American Lotus) and Nelumbo nucifera (Indian Lotus). The Pink Tiger Lotus (Nymphaea Ortgiesiano-rubra) has been developed by German horticulturist Eduard Ortgies ( 1829 – 1916) in the year 1851 and is considered as the first man-made water lily hybrid ever. As we found this beautiful water lily with its fragrant, big, pink flowers, we`ve been told it`s a variant of the white Tiger Lotus, but as we started to research for more information, we got quite confused.

First of all we found out, that it`s a water lily hybrid from Nymphaea Ortgiesiano and Nymphaea rubra, but what is a Nymphaea Ortgiesiano ? We had to learn, that Nymphaea Ortgiesiano is a not accepted name for Nymphaea dentata, a synonym for Nymphaea lotus. Flowers of the Pink Tiger Lotus (Nymphaea Ortgiesiano-rubra) get a size of up to about 25 cm in diameter. The stunning pink flowers, with its red stamens, open in the evening and close at about
11 o`clock in the morning. Like most water lilies, the Pink Tiger Lotus requires a location in full sun and regulary fertilizations about once a month.
Flowering period: Spring - Autumn.

Flower Photography © Orchids Flowers.com
Image: Pink Tiger Lotus (Nymphaea Ortgiesiano-rubra)

Waterlily (Nymphaea) hybrids at Orchids Flowers.com: