Water Lettuce, Water cabbage, Pistia stratiotes

Description

Water Lettuce, Water cabbage, Pistia stratiotes

Water Lettuce thrives floating on the surface water, and its leaves form a rosette, with dense, submerged roots beneath it. It can grow up to a size of 26 cm. Its leaves are stemless and their surface is covered in short with soft hairs. As a result, they can trap the air and helps them to stand erect. The roots of water lettuce hang below the floating leaves submerged underwater. They are under the soft category plant requires ph in between 6.5 to 7.5 for proper growth.

The temperature requirement is higher than other plants since the leaves start decaying at low temperatures. They are mostly seen in ponds and lakes for providing shade and habitat for fishes. The growth rate is fast. they are not suited for fish tank and indoor aquariums. They enrich the water by generating oxygen and eliminating the growth and formation of algae.

• Origin: Central America and South America
• Plant positioning: Water surface
• Light requirement: medium to bright sunlight.
• CO2 requirement: nil
• Plant difficulty level: Easy
• Plant Propagation: plantlets