North America Non-native Plant

Lotus Lancerottensis

Botanical name: Lotus lancerottensis

USDA symbol: LOLA7

Native status: Not native but doesn't reproduce and persist in the wild

Lotus lancerottensis: A Mystery Plant in the Garden World If you’ve stumbled across the name Lotus lancerottensis in your gardening research, you’re not alone in wondering what exactly this plant is. As a native gardening enthusiast, I have to be honest with you – this particular species name presents quite ...

Lotus lancerottensis: A Mystery Plant in the Garden World

If you’ve stumbled across the name Lotus lancerottensis in your gardening research, you’re not alone in wondering what exactly this plant is. As a native gardening enthusiast, I have to be honest with you – this particular species name presents quite the puzzle in the botanical world.

The Challenge with Lotus lancerottensis

Here’s the thing about Lotus lancerottensis: despite extensive searching through botanical databases, horticultural references, and scientific literature, reliable information about this specific plant is remarkably scarce. This could mean several things – it might be a very recently described species, a name that’s been reclassified, or potentially an invalid botanical designation.

What We Do Know

What I can tell you is that this plant belongs to the dicot group and carries the genus name Lotus. However, the genus Lotus is quite complex, with species distributed across various regions of the world, and without specific information about L. lancerottensis, I cannot provide details about:

  • Its native range or geographical distribution
  • Common names it might go by
  • Its growth habits or appearance
  • Preferred growing conditions
  • Wildlife or pollinator benefits
  • Appropriate USDA hardiness zones

A Word of Caution for Gardeners

Given the lack of available information, I’d strongly recommend proceeding with caution if you encounter this plant name in any gardening context. Without knowing its native status, growth characteristics, or potential invasive tendencies, it’s impossible to make informed recommendations about whether to include it in your garden.

Better Alternatives to Consider

Instead of pursuing this mysterious Lotus species, why not consider some well-documented native alternatives? Depending on your location, you might explore:

  • Native legumes that provide similar ecological benefits
  • Well-established Lotus species that are known to be appropriate for your region
  • Local native plant society recommendations for your specific area

The Bottom Line

Sometimes in the gardening world, we encounter plant names that lead us down rabbit holes of curiosity. Lotus lancerottensis appears to be one of those cases. Until more information becomes available about this particular species, I’d recommend focusing your native gardening efforts on plants with well-documented benefits and growing requirements.

If you have specific information about Lotus lancerottensis or have encountered it in a reliable botanical context, I’d love to hear about it – the gardening community thrives on sharing knowledge, especially about these more enigmatic species!

Lotus Lancerottensis

Classification

Group

Dicot

Kingdom

Plantae - Plants

Subkingdom

Tracheobionta - Vascular plants

Superdivision

Spermatophyta - Seed plants

Division

Magnoliophyta - Flowering plants

Subdivision
Class

Magnoliopsida - Dicotyledons

Subclass

Rosidae

Order

Fabales

Family

Fabaceae Lindl. - Pea family

Genus

Lotus L. - trefoil

Species

Lotus lancerottensis Webb & Berthel.

Plant data source: USDA, NRCS 2025. The PLANTS Database. https://plants.usda.gov,. 2/25/2025. National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC USA