Water Crowfoot (Ranunculus aquatilis) - Native Oxygenator with Floating Flowers (1 Bunch)

A classic UK-native oxygenator for wildlife ponds, Ranunculus aquatilis (Water Crowfoot) produces fine, feathery submerged leaves and - when happy - rounded or lobed floating leaves topped with white, yellow-centred flowers in late spring and summer. It helps soak up spare nutrients, gives cover for tadpoles, newts and fry, and brings a lovely natural look when the surface blooms open. Expect a gently spreading habit that’s easy to thin by hand.

Planting & care

• Supplied as 1 bunch (usually lightly weighted). Simply sink the bunch; it will settle and spread from there - no basket required

• Allow growth to fill up to about one-third of the pond volume; hand-thin and compost excess through the season

• Dies back in winter; fresh growth returns in spring

Safety (important & honest):
Not for consumption; do not ingest. As with all pond work, wash hands after handling. Never release plants or pond water into natural waterways.

Truth-first wildlife note:
Water Crowfoot is brilliant in a balanced mix, but it won’t clear green water on its own. Combine with varied marginals, some surface shade, and low nutrient input for living, clear water that supports amphibians and aquatic invertebrates.

Joel says…
“Plant it, give it light, and let it get on with the job. Water Crowfoot brings that wild stream feel - oxygenation below, pretty flowers above, and safe nooks for youngsters.”

If you are using Joel’s methods, as referenced in the ‘Wild Your Garden’ book and on Joel's YouTube channel, appropriate marginal plants can be planted in the sub-soil areas around the edge of the pond. In these cases, you will not need to “re-pot” your 9cm pots, as they will go straight into the sub-soil.

However, if you are not using sub-soil and are going for a more formal look, the 9cm pots should be re-planted into an appropriate 1l size container or otherwise before being placed in or around your pond.  Container grown marginals should be placed in trays of water so that their roots may absorb the moisture. All sizes and planting depths are a guide only and considerable variation in the depth of water over the soil will be tolerated by most aquatics.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are ordering perennials between the months of October and March, including aquatic plants, please be aware that this is the dormant phase for perennials, so your plants may arrive showing potentially little or no top growth at this stage, or can in some cases still have some old leaves from last year showing also. Please don't worry, as this is all quite normal. Once the weather warms up in spring, you will start to see fresh growth and activity! If you ever have any concerns at all, please just message the team on enquiries@wildyourgarden.com and we'll always do our best to help.