Blooming of the Lotus in Massarosa

The ideal period to admire the blooming of lotus flowers is between June and September and in Massarosa in the province of Lucca there is the largest expanse of lotus flowers in Italy which extends for about 70,000 square meters not far from the historic center.

A family-run farm and farmhouse called "La Ninfea" .

The history of the lotus flowers of Massarosa

The idea of starting to grow lotus flowers was almost accidental. In the marshy area where today it is possible to admire the spectacle of lotus flowers, rice was cultivated until the 1950s. Always at the edges of the tanks of the ancient rice fields, beautiful wild flowers grew: lotus and water lilies.

Once the rice production was finished, the company decided to adapt the tanks and start cultivating lotus flowers, concentrating the production on shades of white and pink, until it became the largest expanse of lotus flowers in Italy. .
Today the company, in addition to selling lotus flowers on the Italian market, ships the flowers all over Europe where they are used for ornamental, medicinal and food use.

The production of lotus flowers in Massarosa

The cultivation of lotus flowers is managed by the "cycle of nature". Lotus flowers, in fact, do not require special care and specific soil processing techniques.

The lotus flowers reproduce from rhizomes and the seeds of the flowers left to dry on the ground, falling into the water, spontaneously guarantee a rich expanse of lotus flowers every year. Likewise the leaves which, by rotting and falling into the water, act as fertilizer and natural fertilizer.

Despite this natural process of regenerating soils and flowers, cultivation still requires care and passion. From maintenance and to defend the flowers from the suffocation of weeds and cinnamon to the defense from wild animals such as otters and wild boars that destroy the soil to feed on the tuber at the root of lotus flowers.

The harvest is done entirely by hand with a scythe: entering the swamp and carefully picking these beautiful flowers one by one.

The packaging takes place in an eco-friendly way without the use of plastics or paper since the flowers are closed in bunches of 10 inside their own leaf and tied together.

Not just lotus flowers

In addition to the production of lotus flowers, the company also cultivates other aquatic plants such as water lilies, water hyacinth, water iris and papyrus and various varieties of ornamental foliage, ornamental chillies and hydrangeas.

Where is the lotus flower expanse of Massarosa located?

Along the Via delle Erbe e dei Fiori, the expanse can be admired on the Lotus Flower Cycle and Pedestrian Path.
The farmhouse is not far from the center of Massarosa, in the hamlet of Bozzano, in the Cagliana area, on the Via Sarzanese near the Bozzano railway station