Under favorable circumstances its seeds may remain viable for many years, with the oldest recorded lotus germination being from that of seeds 1,300 years old recovered from a dry lakebed in northeastern China. Therefore, the species is regarded as a symbol of purity, longevity, and honor in Chinese and many other Asian cultures.

It is a perennial aquatic plant with creeping rhizomes that grow in the mud of ponds and lakes. The leaves are peltate, orbicular, and large, with long petioles that hold them above the water surface. The flowers are solitary, large, and showy, with pink or white petals. The plant is cultivated for its edible rhizomes and seeds, and for its ornamental value.