Water Lettuce

The Water Lettuce is a popular easy-to-care-for ornamental pond plant that adds wonderful greenery to any pond or water garden. The Water Lettuce is not a particularly showy plant but provides character and interest to your pond thanks to its whimsical lettuce-like appearance. The Water Lettuce is a free-floating plant with velvety ribbed leaves that are bright-green to blue-green in coloration. Beneath a rosette of scalloped-shaped leaves is a network of feathery roots that hang freely underwater. Though the Water Lettuce produces inconspicuous white flowers it typically reproduces vegetatively producing runners with miniature copies of itself. The Water Lettuce is typically saucer-sized but under favorable conditions, it can easily achieve the size of a dinner plate measuring 10 inches wide or more.

The Water Lettuce boasts beneficial pond water quality and water clarifying qualities. Like all plants, the Water Lettuce takes in dissolved carbon dioxide and releases oxygen vital to goldfish, koi, and other pond fish. In addition to oxygenating pondwater, the Water Lettuce is highly efficient at processing nitrogenous waste materials that is not only toxic to pond fish but can also fuel aggressive nuisance algae growth.

As the Water Lettuce reproduces, it creates a living raft of greenery that offers much-needed shade and protection for your pond fish. The draping curtain of roots provides a fantastic habitat for a wide variety of pond life and is often regarded as a desirable spawning site for fish. The Water Lettuce prefers partial shade in warm, sunny climates. The Water Lettuce is susceptible to frost damage and even brief exposure to frigid temperatures can cause the leaves to quickly rot. To manage surplus growth, remove the excess plants and properly dispose of them in accordance to your local ordinances. Zones 9-11.

Approximate Purchase Size: 6" to 8"