Floral Diversity's Finest! Electric Blue Lotus Lily AND The Stealth flower, Courtesy of Linda Stokes, Talented Photographer

Never been to Oklahoma. Evidently, I didn't know what I was missing. Back in 2014, when the Google+ social network was still up and running, some Google Plussers were in a flower photo-sharing frenzy, and I came across a lady, Linda Stokes, who shared photographs of floral diversity's finest!  What was even more amazing was ... the flowers grow in Oklahoma!

Sorry.  I grew up in Florida.  Florida!  The word literally means "abounding in flowers"!  I have never seen gorgeous blooms like these!  Oklahoma means "red people" (Choctaw words "okla" and "humma").  I'm perfectly OK with that.  (No pun intended.)  But these flowers are blue!! 

Electric blue lotus lily for #FloralFriday from a pond near Loco, Oklahoma.

The Stealth flower, blooming at night, near Loco, Oklahoma.

https://texaxwib.tumblr.com/post/705752241893736448/via-linda-stokes-on-instagram-reflection

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Electric Blue Lotus Lily (Nymphaea caerulea)

1. Not Uniformly Electric Blue: The real Nymphaea caerulea—sometimes marketed as “electric blue lotus”—doesn’t normally have neon-blue flowers. Authentic petals show a gradient from pale lavender toward deeper violet-blue at the edges and have a faint honeyed scent, while extremely bright blue hues in products often indicate dye or mislabeling. 

2. Distinct from Sacred Lotus: The blue lotus lily is botanically distinct from the sacred lotus (Nelumbo nucifera). The sacred lotus often has pink or white blooms, whereas the blue lotus (N. caerulea) is a water lily species native to the Nile River basin. 

3. Alkaloid Content Varies Widely: Studies and lab testing show that many commercially sold “blue lotus” products may lack authentic alkaloids (like nuciferine and apomorphine), with significant variation depending on origin and processing, so identifying the correct species and sourcing is important. 

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Stealth Flower 

The "Stealth flower" photographed blooming at night near Loco, Oklahoma, by Linda Stokes is a Night-Blooming Cereus (Epiphyllum oxypetalum). Also known as "Queen of the Night," this rare, fragrant, white cactus flower blooms only for one night, typically opening around dusk and wilting by dawn.

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📚 Sources

Alibaba. “How to Choose the Best Blue Lotus Flower Dried: A Complete Buyer’s Guide.” Alibaba.com Product Insights, 2026, https://www.alibaba.com/product-insights/how-to-choose-the-best-blue-lotus-flower-dried-a-complete-buyer’s-guide.html.

Alibaba. “How to Choose Real Blue Lotus: A Complete Buyer’s Guide.” Alibaba.com Product Insights, 2026, https://www.alibaba.com/product-insights/how-to-choose-real-blue-lotus-a-complete­-buyer’s-guide.html. 

Articles of Interest for Aspiring Photographers:

• The Photographer Who Captures Life's Beauty Without Hands or Legs(petapixel.com)
• How to Sell Photos Online: For Both Amateur and Pro Photographers(shopify.com)
• 10 Photography Lessons I've Learned Over 10 Years(digital-photography-school.com)

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