Floating Heart Pond Plant - Care & Grow Guide
by Tory Jon | Last Updated: November 16, 2022
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The Floating Heart Plant (Nymphoides peltata) is an aquatic flowering plant that, due to its appearance, is often mistaken for the water lily.
This perennial plant features submerged roots and floating heart-shaped leaves typically 2 - 4 inches in diameter but have been known to get bigger in the right conditions. During the bloom season, the Floating Heart plant will grow bright white or yellow flowers on long stalks.
The plant absorbs nutrients from the water through its submerged root system, helping to keep your pond water clean and clear.
It’s important to keep your Floating Heart plants in check, as they can quickly form large colonies that blanket the surface of your pond. This can choke out any other pond plants you might have and diminish the aesthetic value and water quality of your pond.
Scientific Name
Nymphoides Peltata
Common Names
Fringed water lily, nymphoides, yellow floating heart, floating heart, water-fringe, and entire marshwort
Plant Type
Floating pond plant
Light Requirements
Full to partial sun
Hardiness Zones
USDA Zone 5 - 10
Bloom
Early May through September
Grow Up To
The plant can grow to 3+ feet while the flowers will typically grow 3 to 6 inches
Flower Color
Yellow
How to Plant Floating Heart in a Pond
For best results, plant Floating Heart runners in a sandy/soil mix substrate, preferably in a pot, and submerge into your pond up to two feet. You can plant directly in loamy soil in your pond, but this species can quickly take over your pond by spreading via rhizomes which will make it difficult to control.
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Floating Heart Care Guide
Floating Heart is easy to care for and requires very little maintenance aside from pruning the leaves and flowers that turn yellow or brown. Be sure to remove all the trimmed parts completely from the water to minimize any excess organic material in your pond.
Tip: If you're having trouble keeping your floating heart alive, ensure your pond's pH levels are neutral to alkaline, as they don't thrive well in acidic water.
How you overwinter the Floating Heart plant will depend on its location in your pond:
- Plants in planting containers or plant shelves should be trimmed down to 1-2 inches and lowered into deeper water
- Plants submerged more than a few feet can be left as-is
Floating Heart Care Card
Download our free printable care card for the Floating Heart plant! Click the care card below and save the PDF file to your computer. You can easily print off the 3x5 care card or access it right from your phone. Get all the important information you need to keep your Floating Heart plants healthy and happy!
Plus, we provide a blank card for you to print and fill out yourself. Print it as many times as you like to create cards for all your plants!
Pond Plant Care Card Set
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