Frogbit Pond Plant - Care & Grow Guide
by Tory Jon | Last Updated: November 15, 2022
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Frogbit or Limnobium laevigatum is an aquatic plant well-known for its green, fleshy, heart-shaped leaves, similar to a miniature water lily. It has beautiful, small white flowers that bloom in summer.
Since Frogbit is also a floating plant, you can use it as shade from the sun (to inhibit algae growth) or as protection for your pond fish from predators. The many roots also make it suitable for added filtration.
Invasive Potential: Moderate. The product and intro on this page point to Amazon frogbit, Limnobium laevigatum. The common name "frogbit" is ambiguous, and European frogbit and American frogbit have different native ranges and legal status.
Because floating plants can escape during floods or water changes, check local rules and use the USDA aquatic invasive plant guidance as a starting point before adding frogbit outdoors. Never release unwanted pond plants, roots, seeds, rhizomes, or trimmings into lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands, drainage ditches, storm drains, or natural ponds.
Scientific Name
Limnobium laevigatum (Amazon frogbit; "frogbit" can also mean Hydrocharis morsus-ranae or Limnobium spongia)
Invasive Potential
Moderate
Common Names
Frogbit, Frog bit, Frog's bit, West Indian spongeplant, South American spongeplant, Amazon frogbit, Smooth frogbit, American frogbit (which is actually Limnobium spongia)
Plant Type
Floating plant
Light Requirements
Full sun to partial shade
Plant Hardiness Zones
USDA 4-10
Bloom
Summer
Grow Up To
Roots up to 20 inches long, leaves up to 2.5 inches wide
Flower Color
White
How to Plant Frogbit in a Pond
You can plant the Frogbit directly on the surface of your pond or aquarium. Simply drop the plant gently onto the water's surface, with the roots pointing down towards the bottom of the water.
The plant will either continue to be free-floating or take root if a substrate is present.
Frogbit Care Guide
You should always prune or trim the leaves and flowers of the Frogbit plant once they start turning brown or yellow. Detach and discard the pruned parts completely to minimize the amount of excess organic material in your pond or water garden.
Frogbit Care Tips
- Frogbit does not require fertilization – they derive the needed nutrients from your pond water.
- Keep the temperature of your pond water between 64 and 86-degrees F. This is the optimal temperature range for healthy Frogbit plants. You can monitor the temperature of the water with a pond thermometer.
- Keep the pH of your pond water between 6.0 and 8.0. You can monitor the pond pH level using a water testing kit or adjust the pH levels using water additives when required.
- If you live in Zones 5 or lower, discard the Frogbit plants at the end of the first frost.
Responsible Disposal
Never release amazon frogbit plants, roots, seeds, rhizomes, or trimmings into lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands, drainage ditches, storm drains, or natural ponds. Do not dump pond or aquarium water containing plant fragments into natural waterways.
Frogbit can move as floating rosettes, roots, and small fragments. Scoop out unwanted plants, dry and bag them, and do not dump aquarium or pond water containing loose pieces into a waterway or storm drain.
Frogbit Care Card
Download our free printable care card for the Frogbit 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 Frogbit 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
Get the full printable set of 23 pond plant care cards in one PDF. The cards are formatted for quick reference on your phone or easy 3x5 printing.
