As summer heat intensifies, the lotus exhibition at the Shanghai Botanical Garden has entered its peak season. This year’s display features a new lotus variety developed through space breeding, adding a touch of cutting-edge technology to the garden’s summer lotus ponds. Unlike conventionally hybridized lotus flowers, the space-bred variety was developed from seeds sent into space aboard a recoverable spacecraft, where microgravity and cosmic radiation triggered genetic mutations. After multiple generations of selective breeding, researchers produced a stable lotus featuring large, vividly colored blooms and a long flowering season, offering both exceptional ornamental appeal and educational value. In addition, the five space-bred lotus varieties in the collection of Shanghai Chenshan National Botanical Garden are currently in full bloom. Photo: Lu Ting/GT