Water Fern
(Azolla filiculoides)
Water Fern (Azolla filiculoides)
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Matt Berger
CC BY 4.0
Image By:
Matt Berger
Recorded By:
Copyright:
CC BY 4.0
Copyright Notice:
Photo by: Matt Berger | License Type: CC BY 4.0 | License URL: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ | Rights Holder: Matt Berger | Publisher: iNaturalist | Date Created: 2019-12-04T12:22:08Z |
Estimated Native Range
Summary
Azolla filiculoides, commonly known as Water Fern, is a floating aquatic fern and an annual herb. It is native to warm temperate and tropical regions of the Americas, typically inhabiting still or slow-moving freshwater bodies such as ponds, ditches, and marshes. This fern is known for its very fast growth rate and can spread rapidly over the surface of lakes and ponds, often forming dense mats. Individual plants are small, usually 1–2 cm across, with fronds that are green with pink, orange, or red hues at the edges. The fern branches freely and propagates by fragmentation, breaking into smaller sections as it grows.
Water Fern is valued for its nitrogen-fixing ability, which can enrich nutrient-poor waters, and its use in water gardens or ponds for its ornamental appearance and utility in reducing algae growth by shading the water surface. It is also used in wastewater treatment systems for its ability to absorb heavy metals and other pollutants. In cultivation, Azolla filiculoides thrives in full sun to part shade and requires an aquatic environment, meaning it needs to be grown in water. It is not cold-hardy and tends to die back in winter in temperate regions, surviving with submerged buds that can withstand the cold. While it is easy to maintain, it can become invasive outside its native range, so caution is advised when introducing it to new areas.CC BY-SA 4.0
Water Fern is valued for its nitrogen-fixing ability, which can enrich nutrient-poor waters, and its use in water gardens or ponds for its ornamental appearance and utility in reducing algae growth by shading the water surface. It is also used in wastewater treatment systems for its ability to absorb heavy metals and other pollutants. In cultivation, Azolla filiculoides thrives in full sun to part shade and requires an aquatic environment, meaning it needs to be grown in water. It is not cold-hardy and tends to die back in winter in temperate regions, surviving with submerged buds that can withstand the cold. While it is easy to maintain, it can become invasive outside its native range, so caution is advised when introducing it to new areas.CC BY-SA 4.0
Plant Description
- Plant Type: Fern
- Height: 0-0.3 feet
- Width: 1-3 feet
- Growth Rate: Rapid
- Flower Color: N/A
- Flowering Season: Non-Flowering
- Leaf Retention:
Growth Requirements
- Sun: Full Sun, Part Shade
- Water: Aquatic
- Drainage: Standing
Common Uses
Rabbit Resistant, Water Garden
Natural Habitat
Warm temperate and tropical regions of the Americas and parts of the South Pacific, in still or slow-moving freshwater bodies
Other Names
Common Names: Pacific Mosquitofern, Pacific Azolla, Fern Azolla, Pacific Mosquito Fern, Duckweed Fern, Large Mosquito Fern, Redwater Fern, Großer Algenfarn, Azolla, Azolla Fausse-Filicule
Scientific Names: , Azolla filiculoides, Azolla filiculoides var. filiculoides,
GBIF Accepted Name: Azolla filiculoides Lam.