Plants with floating leaves
Plants said to have "floating leaves" have leaves which are posed on the surface of the water and are linked by stems to the roots, which are planted at the bottom of the pond or pool.
The leaves appear in spring and develop on the water's surface before flowering. They then disappear with the coming of winter.
These plants are very useful for fish in summer, providing shelter from the hot sun. Batracians also find them useful as a platform to croak on and to hunt from.
Be careful, however, not to let them invade the whole surface of the pool, as this will stop light from penetrating the water.
The most common plants with floating leaves
- The water lily is the most common plant with floating leaves in garden pools.
- The Indian or sacred lotus can be recognized by the shape of its fruit - it looks like an upside down cone. As it doesn't like the cold, it is advisable to bring it indoors in regions with very cold winters.
- Buckwheat is a hardy plant which grows wild in ponds. Its long leaves stretch over the water along the length of the stem, where small pointed rose-coloured flowers can be seen. These are ofter found near the water's edge and rarely in deep water.