Common duckweed

Profile

Family

Araceae

Habit

Water plant

Height

0 m

Spread

0 m

Growth

fast

Lifespan

1 year

Hardiness

zone 4–8

Shade tolerance

light shade

Soil moisture

near water – in water

pH

3 – 10

Synonyms

Entengrütze

Uses

Edible: Occasionally used as a vegetable. No further details provided, but we have found the taste to be undesirable.

Growing

Duckweed thrives in sunny areas of calm water rich in nitrates and calcium. While it can be a nuisance pond weed, it is easily controlled by skimming. The skimmed material is excellent for adding to compost piles. This plant serves as a valuable food source for fish and birds, also providing shelter for pond organisms. In temperate regions, Duckweed survives winter through dormant buds sinking to the pond bottom in late autumn and resurfacing in spring.

Propagation

Seeds - We have no information about this species, but since it spreads quickly through division, it actually does not need any additional assistance once it is in a pond.

Notable

Features: spreads through budding in stagnant waters; overwinters through dormant buds sinking to the pond bottom in late autumn & resurfacing in spring; purifies the water; plant collects+stores minerals, meaning e.g. its radium content is 100-600 times higher than in the surrounding water.

Origin & habitat

A cosmopolitan plant that is found in most regions of the world, including but absent in the tropics.

Forests, hedges, and shaded areas where trees, walls, etc., climb and creep over the ground. Found on all types of terrain.

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