| Azollo |  Azolla Filliculoides
Tiny free-floating, perennial fern that forms clusters of soft leaves. Turns reddish-purple in the fall. Useful as a rapid, temporary cover for a new pond as other plants establish. Thin as needed.
| | Duckweed |  Lemma minor
Known as the second smallest aquatic flowering plant, this free floating annual doesn’t require planting. Simply set the miniature lime green plants in the water and watch them spread. Fish and ducks find them a tasty treat, too. Look for tiny blooms in May and June. (Evergreen)
| | Water Hyacinth |  Eichhornia Crassipes
Some growers call this the plant of the future because of its amazing versatility. Frequently used to purify ponds, the South American native provides an ideal fish spawning ground among its long, purplish root masses. It can even be fed to cattle. The multifaceted aquatic is lovely as well. Uniquely formed lime leaves two to five inches wide cluster in rosettes. From each emerges a plump, six-inch stalk displaying a delicate cascade of pale lavender petals highlighted by a golden tear surrounded by velvety violet at the top of each blossom. Very prolific, the Water Hyacinth does best when controlled in a warm water pool or tub. (Evergreen)
| | Water Lettuce |  Pistia Stratiotes
Water Lettuce has blue green porous leaves with several lines running through them. It opens up and looks like a head of lettuce that has been opened, hence the name. Lettuce floats on the surface of your pond. May need planting if the pond is balanced and there are no nutrients in the water. Since it is a tropical plant, it needs winter protection in cold climates. Lettuce, because of it floating capabilities, is an excellent filtration plant for ponds with high nitrogen and phosphate levels.
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