200-Yr-Old Seed Excavated Decades Ago Grows Into Beautiful, Blooming Lotus

If you ever feel like your life isn’t moving forward fast enough, remember that this lotus flower literally waited 200 years to bloom! According to NHK WORLD-JAPAN, excavators discovered the centuries-old seed at a Buddhist temple 25 years ago while digging up a pond. It was buried in a layer of earth that has likely been around for 200 years. Once properly potted and cared for, the seed began to grow into a beautiful lotus plant. Now, it’s bursting with blossoms!

Byodoin Temple, where the blooming lotus flower is on display, is located in Uji City within the Kyoto Prefecture. This historic site has been standing since the 11th century, during Japan’s Heian Period. UNESCO considers it a World Cultural Heritage site.

The temple creates a beautiful display of lotus flowers and their magnificent blooms every year. Right now, there are around 50 pots for visitors to enjoy. Many of these blossoms are red or pink, but the 200-year-old seed produced a plant with white flowers. Apparently, this started sometime in mid-June.

This particular type of lotus is called the Byodoin Temple Lotus. Its appearance reminds viewers of the lotus flowers pictured in the temple’s ancient murals. These images can be found in Hou-ou-do, or Phoenix Hall, which the Byodoin Temple website calls “one of the most important cultural assets of Japan.”

In a video from NHK WORLD-JAPAN, Head Priest Kamii Monsho explained some of the significance of the lotus flower’s lovely white blooms.

“The lotus has a very transparent, clean feel to it,” he said, through a translator. “The transparent whiteness helps clear the mind.”

Unfortunately, visitors will only be able to view the rare plant and its ethereal blossoms until mid-July. Still, isn’t it inspiring that a 200-year-old seed excavated 25 years ago was able to bloom into such beautiful lotus flowers?

You can find the source of this story’s featured image here.