Floating Heart

Did you know

• Despite resembling a miniature water lily, floating heart is more closely related to gentians — it convergently evolved the floating leaf habit independently.
• The edges of its small yellow petals are distinctively fringed, giving each flower a delicate, lacy appearance visible even at a distance.
• Flowers are heterostylous: some plants produce flowers with long styles and short stamens (pin-type), others the reverse, promoting cross-pollination.
• It spreads aggressively via both seed and vegetative fragments and is listed as an invasive aquatic weed in parts of North America and Australia.
• The floating leaves provide critical shade for aquatic organisms and support for frogs and invertebrates — but when invasive, the dense mats deplete oxygen.

Color meanings

Uses

• water garden ornamental
• pond habitat