Pistia Stratiotes – Water Lettuce

• Growth Rate: Medium
• Position: Full sun to part shade
• Native: No
• Spread: 10-20cm

The lettuce shaped leaves are soft & hairy. This plant spreads by sending out runners to form young plants. The fine roots give good cover for small fish. Pistia are not hardy and do best placed in sheltered pools. Not hardy. Remove decaying plants after first frost. Very hard to overwinter as they must be placed in shallow water with soil at the base of the container. They should be kept in moderate light at a temperature above 15°c. Very hard to overwinter.

Pond Planet Floating Plant Guide:
Only native floating plants are truly hardy whilst tropical species add variety to the pond during the summer months. Floating pond plants provide shade to the water and help remove nitrates, which aids in the reduction of algae and increases biodiversity.