The roots are anchored in the mud, but the leaves and flowers emerge above the water's surface.

The petioles of the leaves may extend as much as 2 m (6.6 ft) and end in a round leaf blade 33–43 cm (13–17 in) in diameter.

[5] It is the larval host plant of the American lotus borer, Ostrinia penitalis.

It has been listed as threatened or endangered in New Jersey, Michigan, and Pennsylvania, and extirpated in Delaware.

The native distribution of the species is Minnesota to Oklahoma, Florida, Mexico, Honduras, and the Caribbean.

It was apparently distributed northwards in the United States by Native Americans who carried the plant with them as a food source.