Generally my lotus produce lots of flowers, but no viable seed. The pods swell up big, but the seeds finally shrink down to empty, wrinkled raisins. Lots of pollinators visit, so I generally attribute this lack of seed to self-incompatibility, and the fact that I seldom have two varieties of lotus blooming at the same time in the same place.



A couple weeks ago, though, I noticed that one seed in a pod had remained large when the others shriveled up. My experience with lotus seeds has been that they last forever and that nothing affects them until the seed coat is breached, at which point the shell becomes soft and leathery, the interior fully hydrates, and the seed sprouts within a few days. So, I removed the operculum with a sharp blade, soaked it in water, and sure enough, it hatched.



It's been over fifteen years since I grew lotus from seed, but clean water and bright light have been the most successful strategy by my memory, so I'll get this outside today, and find some media and a container for it.

Here's a picture I've shared before of the mama plant's flower. This lotus escaped its container this year and has had dozens of blooms all over the pond, which may have increased the odds of getting a viable seed from it, though many of the pods are still green.



[Edit: Added a couple more pictures to illustrate green and brown pods]