Salvinia natans grow and care – fern leaf water plant of the genus Salvinia also known as Floating moss or Floating Fern, Salvinia natans annual plant, and used as ornamental plant or to clean water and used as groundcover for aquatic area, that the benefits of this prevent algae to grow and protect the fish from predators, can grow in mediterranean, desert, subtropics, temperate, tropics climate or indoor as houseplant possible in aquarium and growing in hardiness zone 3+.
Leaves color green glossy 1-2 cm elliptic with velvet structure the leaf hairy and grow in group of three, pair that function as the floating part and one of the leaf function as root.
Wetland, rich nutrient water or in aquarium, better water temperature 15-30C (60-86F), high humidity, warm weather
How to care:
Usually when need to care for the plant it’s mean that there is problem in the water, pull out dead parts, check if the fish don’t the plant and check the quality of the water, in warm climate can grow in puddles
What is the best way to start growing?
Plant / Spore – usually the spore grow next year, but in cold climate the spore might die over the winter, in case that no next generation try to put some plant indoor to protect the spore over the winter
Is it necessary to use vegetative reproduction? Yes
Difficulties or problems when growing: Aggressive, invasive, prevent other plants to grow under by cover big space
Planting season: Spring in hardiness zone 3-10a, spring to summer in hardiness zone 10b, spring to autumn in hardiness zone 11, all the year in hardiness zone 12+ and better to plant in all the hardiness zone in the spring establish better
Pests and diseases: Salvinia weevil, when needed to get rid of the plant this pests it’s working fast to control and destroy big colonies of this plant
Pruning season: All year
How to prune:
Collect the dead part
Size of the plant? 0.5-1cm (0.25-0.5 inch) wide 2-10 cm (1-4 inches) but can grow as given
Growth speed in optimal condition: Fast growing
Water requirement: Big amount of water
Light conditions in optimal condition for growing: Full Sun – grow faster and better in full sun, can grow also in half shade and grow slowly in full shade (with light)
Is it possible to grow indoor as houseplant? Yes, but will require a lot of light, if not parts of the plant atrophy until all the plant will die
Growing is also possible in a planter /flowerpot / containers: Yes (with water)
Scientific name:
Salvinia natans
Alternative names: Floating watermoss, Floating moss, Water butterfly wings, Floating Fern
