Floating Water Moss, or Salvinia, is a free floating aquatic plant that is not prone to disease and decay. It is an annual that will float on the water due to the amount of air in the plant’s tissue. This bit of excess air makes the fern look spongy in appearance. It is an interesting and easy to grow choice for a water garden and helps in the water’s purification because of its filtering aspect of removing organic material from the water. Floating Water Moss can be a wonderful addition to a water garden or pond that has fish or other living creatures due to this purification aspect.
There are many differences between the species of Salvinia. Salvinia molesta, or the Giant Salvinia, can be an invasive weed that runs rampant in the warmer areas of the world. Salvinia natans, or water moss, is used as a free floating moss for aquariums and water features for its decorative nature without invasive characteristics.
Some Species of Salvinia
- Salvinia minima (Water Spangles)
- Salvinia molesta (Giant Salvinia)
- Salvinia natans (Floating Water Moss)
How to Plant and Use Floating Water Moss
The Floating Water Moss is a small plant, only reaching to a fourth of a foot in height but can get up to a foot wide with its spread. It is a fern, specifically a floating fern, and is native to Asia, North Africa, and the South of Europe. The plant loves wet areas, so it is perfected allotted to a water garden and needs only moderate maintenance to survive. A full sun or partial shade area of the landscape is perfect for this plant, and it is hardy from USDA zones of ten to eleven. It is a non flowering, foliage only plant that adds a light airy feel to the water garden setting.
To plant Salvinia, throw the fledgling plants on top of the water, well after the date of the last frost in the area. These will spread quickly and create a moss top barrier in the water. This gives a little texture to the garden, a light airy look with the moss, and a fine bit of cover to the other living creatures in the water garden.
Scientific Classification of Floating Water Moss
- Kingdom Plantae – Plants
- Subkingdom Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
- Division Pteridophyta – Ferns
- Class Filicopsida
- Order Hydropteridales
- Family Salviniaceae – Floating Fern family
- Genus Salvinia Ség. – watermoss
- Species Salvinia natans (L.) All. – floating water moss
Keep in mind the invasive nature of all Salvinia plants, and use your own best judgement.
Tina Samuels - Tina Samuels specializes in health, animal, and gardening articles. She authored "A Georgia Native Plant Guide".
