Water lettuce is a free-floating aquatic perennial that transforms still water into a living garden of soft green rosettes. Hardy in zones 8-10, this frost-tender plant produces wedge-shaped, overlapping leaves covered in water-repellant hairs that resemble miniature heads of lettuce, growing 4-6 inches across. New plants form along stolons radiating from the mother plant, allowing water lettuce to spread quickly and densely across pond surfaces. It thrives in full sun to partial shade and reaches just 3-6 inches tall while spreading 6-18 inches wide, making it a compact yet prolific addition to water gardens and rain gardens.
Partial Sun
Moderate
8-10
6in H x 18in W
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High
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Water lettuce earns its name honestly, with velvety, fluted leaves that genuinely look like delicate salad heads floating on water. The plant's soft green rosettes are covered with fine hairs that repel water, creating an almost fuzzy appearance that's as tactile as it is beautiful. New plantlets emerge continuously from stolons, allowing you to watch a single plant transform into a dense mat of foliage within weeks under ideal conditions. Its true charm lies in how effortlessly it colonizes still water, asking only for sunlight and the patience to manage its enthusiastic spread.
Water lettuce functions primarily as an ornamental plant in water gardens, though it does provide some edible value. The foliage can be harvested and consumed, though it's grown more often for its role in naturalizing water features and improving water quality in rain gardens and pond systems. Its rapid growth makes it useful for quick coverage and dense mats that provide shade and shelter in aquatic environments.
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After your last frost date, scatter small bunches of water lettuce plants directly onto the surface of still water. Ensure the water feature receives full sun to partial shade for best establishment and growth.
Harvest foliage as needed by removing entire rosettes from the water surface. The plant produces new rosettes continuously, so regular harvesting encourages continued growth. There are no specific visual maturity cues; simply harvest leaves when you need them for culinary use.
Remove excess plants regularly throughout the growing season as water lettuce spreads. This is essential for preventing dense mats from completely covering water surfaces and to maintain visual balance in water gardens. In fall, before the first frost in zone 8 areas, lift plants for overwintering indoors if you wish to preserve stock for the following season.
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