Stratiotes aloides

Cultivation Details

A water plant, it requires a neutral to alkaline water^[1]. The herb is submerged at most times of the year, rising to the surface only when it is flowering^[2]. The leaves accumulate calcium carbonate and by the autumn this makes them heavy enough to sink to the bottom of the pond. The new leaves in spring do not have this calcium carbonate and so rise to the surface^[1]. A vigorous-growing plant, it will tend to swamp out other plants when grown in a small pond^[1]. Plants are dioecious, male and female plants must be grown if seed is required^[2]. Only the female plant occurs naturally in Britain, though plants with hermaphrodite flowers are also found occasionally^[2]. Seed is never set in Britain, the plants increasing mainly by offsets^[2].