General Plant Information (Edit)
Plant Habit: Herb/Forb
Life cycle: Perennial
Sun Requirements: Full Sun
Full Sun to Partial Shade
Partial or Dappled Shade
Water Preferences: In Water
Minimum cold hardiness: Zone 8a -12.2 °C (10 °F) to -9.4 °C (15 °F)
Maximum recommended zone: Zone 11
Plant Height: 4 inches
Plant Spread: Unlimited spread- the mother plant grows and releases plantlets.
Leaves: Evergreen
Other: light green, no stem, thick, soft leaves have parallel veins, wavy margins, and form a rosette
Fruit: Other: green berry
Fruiting Time: Late summer or early fall
Flowers: Inconspicuous
Flower Color: White
Bloom Size: Under 1"
Flower Time: Summer
Suitable Locations: Bog gardening
Uses: Water gardens
Will Naturalize
Suitable as Annual
Resistances: Flood Resistant
Humidity tolerant
Toxicity: Other: Its edibility is unknown, so it is recommended not to ingest.
Propagation: Seeds: Provide light
Needs specific temperature: above 20° C.
Sow in situ
Other info: seeds can overwinter in adjacent zones; seed dispersal is in water
Propagation: Other methods: Stolons and runners
Offsets
Pollinators: Wind
Containers: Suitable in 3 gallon or larger
Miscellaneous: Tolerates poor soil
Monoecious
Dioecious
Epiphytic
Conservation status: Least Concern (LC)

Conservation status:
Conservation status: Least Concern
Image
Common names
  • Water Lettuce
  • Shellflower
  • Water Cabbage
  • Nile Cabbage

Photo Gallery
Location: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London.
Date: 2013-04-27
Location: St Louis - MoBOT
Location: Missouri Botanical Garden, St Louis
Date: 2017-08-09
Location: Dearborn Heights, MI
Date: 2010-07-17
Growing in my Pond
Location: Dearborn Heights, MI
Date: 2010-09-12
Growing in my Pond
Location: Fairfax, VA | June, 2022
Location: Jefferson County, Texas
Date: August 27, 2013
Close-up
Location: Bea’s garden
Date: 2023-07-31
Photo by sedumzz

credit: Prenn
Location: my pond, Gent, Belgium
Date: 2005-09-24
Location: Nationale Plantentuin Meise (Botanical Garden near Brussels)
Date: 2022-10-17
Location: Sumatera Indonesia
Date: 2017-12-09
covering a whole lake surface
Location: DISCLAIMER: This is an old photo from an old phone. I don't know why, but the photos look "deep fried". sorry about that.
Location: Jefferson County, Texas
Date: August 27, 2013
Location: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Date: 2017-10-10
Location: Missouri Botanical Garden (MOBOT) - St Louis
Date: 2-25-13
w/ some Chihuly glasswork

Date: 2013-09-26

Date: 2013-09-26

Date: 2013-09-26

Date: 2013-09-26
Location: Ecological Botanical Garden of the University of Bayreuth
Date: October
credit: Schubbay

Date: 2012-07-05

Date: 2012-07-05
This plant is tagged in:
Image

Comments:
  • Posted by dyzzypyxxy (Sarasota, Fl) on Aug 28, 2014 12:44 PM concerning plant:
    A Class 1 Invasive pest plant in Florida, this floating aquatic plant is a weed worldwide in temperate climates and can completely choke lakes and waterways in favorable situations. It spreads by seeds, and also by the divisions sometimes caused by boats and other watercraft cutting the plants up. They can then float downstream and infest the waterway further.

    It is not winter hardy, so it is not invasive farther north where temperatures in the water get cold enough to kill it off. People therefore unknowingly may transplant water lettuce to a new waterway or water garden when they move south. It is, unfortunately, a very attractive plant.
Discussion Threads about this plant
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Hello by HannahsGarden Jan 24, 2023 9:15 PM 2

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