Hydrocharis morsus-ranae
Frogbit
Common names: European frogbit
At a glance
- Light
- Full sun
- Pot size
- from 50 l
- Lifespan
- Perennial
- Flowering
- Jun–Aug
- Hardiness
- Hardy
- Origin
- Native to Germany
Photo: Christian Fischer · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
Frogbit is a native floating plant that covers the water surface of ponds and pools with its small, water lily-like leaves. From June to August it produces delicate, three-petalled white flowers that stand just above the water. The plant is not rooted in the soil. It drifts freely, with long root threads hanging in the water, and in autumn it forms small winter buds that sink to the bottom and overwinter there. Botanically it is Hydrocharis morsus-ranae, but in the garden the common name frogbit is entirely sufficient. It provides valuable cover for small pond organisms.
Care instructions
Place frogbit directly into the calm, nutrient-rich water of your garden pond from May to calendar week 22, preferably in a sunny to partly shaded corner. It needs no soil and no fixed position, as it drifts freely and spreads on its own under good conditions. In summer, remove surplus plants with a landing net so that the water surface does not become completely covered and other water inhabitants still receive enough light. The winter buds sink to the bottom of their own accord from October onward, so nothing else is needed over winter. In spring, from mid-April (calendar week 16), they rise to the surface again. If the water is too low in nutrients, the plant will struggle. In that case, add some well-rotted compost at the pond edge instead of a fertilizer.
The care notes were machine-translated from German.
Garden year
FloweringJun–Aug
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
moist, nutrient-rich, humus-rich
Frogbit does not need a conventional bed, but nutrient-rich, still to slowly flowing water with a soft mud bottom. The roots hang freely in the water and draw their nutrients directly from it; a substrate in the strict sense is not needed. What matters is a pH in the slightly acidic to neutral range and a calm, wind-sheltered part of the pond, so that the small rosettes do not drift away.
Feeding
Medium feeder
Frogbit draws its nutrients directly from the pond water and is not fed in the conventional sense. A nutrient-rich body of water, for instance through leaves or plant debris in the bottom mud, is quite enough for it. Too many nutrients in the pond tend to cause algae growth, so it is better to stay sparing and let the plant work as a natural nutrient consumer.
Overwintering
In late summer, frogbit forms small winter buds, the so-called turions, and lets the summer leaves die. The turions sink to the pond bottom and survive the winter there, protected from frost, as long as the water does not freeze completely. In spring they rise to the surface again and sprout anew, so you need do nothing more than keep the pond frost-free enough.
Propagation
Methods
- Runners
- Offsets
In summer, frogbit propagates by itself via runners on which new rosettes form; you can simply separate them and place them elsewhere in the pond. The overwintering turions are essentially a form of propagation too: a new plant grows from each bud in spring. If you want to control the stand, simply remove surplus rosettes with a net in summer. Sowing plays hardly any role for frogbit in garden practice.
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