Floating Hearts
Nymphoides thunbergiana
Small Water Lily, Geelwaterruintjie (Afr.), Marombodane
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A dainty starry yellow flowered water lily with dark green rounded leaves that float above the water line. Naturally occurring in Southern Africa and Madagascar below 1600m. Can handle periods of minimal water and is very well suited for garden ponds. May need to be thinned out from time to time and are grown very easily from cuttings or dividing. Often used as an ornamental water plant.
ZA Distribution: Eastern Cape, Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, Limpopo, Mpumalanga, North West, Western Cape.
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Planning
Difficulty
Easy
Flowering time
Summer, Autumn, Spring
Fruiting time
Autumn
Harvesting
Easily grown from root cuttings or divisions
Propagation
Seed
Sowing depth about 30-40cm below water (shallow pond depth).
Division
Divide clumbs and replant in water.
Rhizomes
Break pieces of rhizomes off to replant in new area.
Special features
Attracts useful insects
Wet sites
Attractive flowers
Attractive leaves
Special features
Origin
Southern Africa and Madagascar.
Natural climate
Ponds, marshes, rivers below 1600m.
Environment
Light
Full Sun
Soil moisture
Wet
Soil type
Loam, Sand
Soil PH preference
Neutral
Frost hardiness
Tender
Uses
Notes
Ornamental water plant
Personality
Family
Menyanthaceae
Flower colour
Yellow, White
Scent
None
Problems
Problem free
Companion plants
Arum lily, Juncus effusus
Credits
Nymphoides thunbergiana
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by Alice Aubrey and Mhlonishwa D Dlamini, Walter Sisulu National Botanical Garden, September 2003. (Name updated August 2008) (Copyright South African National Biodiversity Institute, South Africa)
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