FLOATING WATER PLANTS

FLOATING WATER PLANTS

LT COL NOEL ELLIS

03/IX/2024

Slowly and steadily our collection of plants is growing. They have reached the maximum limit we can manage, including the aquatic plant collection which too has reached its saturation point. It is when you get to work on them, you realise that it takes a lot of time and effort.

However, the passion for gardening keeps one occupied. We win some & we lose some but the hobby has to go on.

As I was scrolling through social media, I saw a plant which is well adapted to grow both in water and soil. We already had one planted in a hanging pot. It was time to experiment with the water part. It is called the ‘Penny Wort’ or ‘Dollar Plant’.

As the name suggests, the leaves look like a ‘coin’ or ‘penny’. Someone would have changed the name to the currency they were dealing in to call it a ‘$ plant’. It is also called the ‘Chinese Money Plant’. The botanical name being ‘Hydro cotyle Umbellate’. Hydro is obvious for water and Umbellate, maybe each leaf looks like an ‘open umbrella’. Rest I leave to your imagination. In Hindi it is called ‘Brahmi’.

While repotting it, a few plants with roots were extracted and transferred to a poly bag. In a few days time new leaves signalled that they had settled and multiplied. It was time to try the ‘hydro’ part. We had purchased small water tubs which were lying unused. This polybag with the plant was immersed in one.

With passage of time, leaves started multiplying. To our amazement, it started throwing roots out from the holes of the polybag. Within days, it shot out so many nodes and leaves. Today, it is flowering, thus it was confirmed that it could live in water and soil with equal ease.

Another eye-catching floating plant caught my attention. It is called the ‘Water Mosaic’ plant. It throws out leaves in geometric patterns that look like a real mosaic. With earthen water bowls available, it was worth a try to be part of our collection. The patterns are mesmerising.

An online order was placed without second thoughts. The issue was, if they could take a beating and bear the vagaries of travel in summer. The parcel took more than seven days to reach. When we unboxed it, rot had set in as the plants had stayed in an enclosed space wrapped in wet newspapers and polythene to keep its roots moist.

The scene was horrific. All its leaves were dead. Just a few nodes were left with no signs of greenery on them. The plants were left floating in a tub overnight as the disinfection drill, after washing them in fungicide solution for ten minutes.

Next morning, the situation remained grim. The ‘Ludwigia Sedioides’ plant had minimal chances of survival due to the condition it had arrived in. This is a sun loving plant, so taking a chance to put those rotten stems in full sun could further spell disaster, was a passing thought. It was worth a try.

Within three days, we found new sprouts and we breathed a sigh of relief. This plant in the picture is one month old now and is already showing its geometric patterns spreading. It has yet to flower and show maroon coloration on the outer leaves which would appear when it is fully mature. We shall wait for it.

The third plant had a very attractive name called “Water Snowflake” or ‘Nymphoides Indica’. The flower was the main attraction which resembles a falling snowflake. This plant too reached in almost a dead state. We were heartbroken but positive, as we understand water plants a little now. They are fighters.

If given proper conditions, even with just one remaining ‘live root’ these plants grow back. This is first hand experience with water lily plants. It was sown with a prayer on our lips. Today, the plant has thrown up many new leaves. Now, the wait is for its beautiful flowers to bloom.

The fourth plant was ‘Water Hyacinth”. This too was not in a good condition but knowing this plant to be an invasive species, it was bound to revive. It was floated in an old paint bucket. From two plants, there are ten within a month. The uniqueness of this water hyacinth is that the flower is not purple but white. We shall wait for it to reveal its true colours.