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Pennywort Flower Wikimedia Commons
Araliaceae

Pennywort Flower

Hydrocotyle vulgaris

Small worth accumulating into abundance.

Family
Araliaceae
Genus
Hydrocotyle
Native to
Europe, North Africa
Bloom season
Summer
Type
creeping aquatic perennial
Height
5–20 cm
Sunlight
full sun to part shade
Soil
wet, boggy, acidic
Water
very high; semi-aquatic
Hardiness
5–10
Lifespan
perennial

Did you know

  • Its round leaves look like tiny lily pads and were thought to resemble old pennies — hence 'pennywort'.
  • The flowers are so tiny and hidden beneath the leaves that most people never notice the plant is blooming.
  • In Asian cuisine, related species (Centella asiatica) are eaten as salad greens and brain-boosting herbs.
  • It spreads by runners along wet ground, quickly forming mats in bog gardens and pond edges.
  • Despite its delicate appearance, it can survive periodic flooding and even grow partially submerged.

Color meanings

Green-White

modest prosperity

Uses

  • bog gardens
  • pond margins
  • wetland restoration
  • ground cover