A wetlands beauty

The wild American lotus is native to wetlands, lakes and ponds of the eastern half of the U.S. and much of Canada north of the Great Lakes. It is often simply called water lily or giant water lily. There are many kinds of water lilies in the United States.

This water plant can be aggressive, often establishing itself in slow-moving or quiet, relatively shallow waters. It will die back during late fall and winter, revealing open water only to reappear the next spring with its dinner-plate sized leaves to once again choke the surface of the water. Blooming in late spring through summer, the largest blossoms may open to nearly the size of a volleyball with big white to yellow petals.

After the flower petals fall off, an interesting conical seed pod is revealed on the single stem. These seed pods are sometimes collected and used to add interest to flower arrangements. Children may be entertained by playing with them as a rattle. As the pod dries, the seeds rattle inside when it is shaken.

I took this photo late evening one day at Duck Creek Conservation Area near Puxico, Mo. It shows the plant's large leaf in the background as well as the seed pod, which is still growing. Late evening sunlight can sometimes add magic to an otherwise simple subject.

Through the Woods is a weekly nature photo column by Aaron Horrell. Find this column at semissourian.com to order a reprint of the photo. Find more work by him at the O'Tenem Gallery.