Fontinalis Antipyretica – Willow Moss

• Height: 5-25cm
• Growth Rate: Medium
• Flowers: N/A
• Sun/Shade: Full sun to part shade
• Native: Yes
• Depth: 30-90cm

A greyish-green moss with branched stems. It grows all year round in both fast flowing and still water. It is so named because it was used by the Swedes to fill up spaces in their chimneys and walls to exclude air and prevent fire. Can be dropped in pond as a weighted bunch. This plant can grow in both still and fast flowing water where anchorage is required. This can be achieved by tying the plant to a stone or brick and placing it in running water.

Only leaves that photosynthesise below the water surface oxygenate the pond. The best oxygenators are those whose leaves grow underwater, although all are a breeding site and shelter for wildlife. They remove nitrates, which helps reduce algae and keep water clear, meaning once established, many may be grown much deeper if light can reach them.

Pond Planet Oxygenator Guide:
Oxygenating planting depths are provided as a guide only, with the depth being the amount of water between the water surface and the top of the pond basket.

Weighed bunches can simply be dropped into the pond but would benefit from being planted in soil or gravel within a planting basket.

We recommend that 9cm oxygenating plants be potted up into a larger pond basket to allow room for growth. Make sure to position these smaller sized plants no deeper than 25% of the maximum recommended planting depth to allow the plants to mature.

It is not necessary to re-pot 1ltr oxygenating plants however it would be beneficial. Place this size of plant no deeper than 50% of the maximum recommended planting depth to allow the plants to establish themselves.

Given that 2ltr and 3ltr plants are larger and more established they do not require repotting, and can be placed up to the maximum recommended depth.