Hottonia palustris - Featherfoil

Hottonia palustris, or Marsh Woundwort, is a perennial aquatic plant that should be placed with its feet in the water, between 10 and 80cm deep. It forms a carpet of light and airy leaves of a beautiful light green colour, which earned it its other name of Aquatic Yarrow. In spring, its clusters of white flowers with yellow throats appear on the water's surface. They will remind you of small primroses. It is a very useful oxygenating plant to keep your pond healthy.

From the primrose family, the genus Hottonia has 2 species of submerged aquatic perennials, mainly found in temperate Eurasia and eastern United States. Its name comes from the Dutch botanist Petrus Hotton (1648-1709). Hottonia palustris is naturally found in slow-moving waters, even in ditches or shallow muddy waters. It is present in ponds in France. It forms a carpet of upright and spreading stems adorned with finely divided leaves of a fresh green colour. Each plume measures between 7 and 12cm long. In May-June, clusters of 3 to 9 flowers with spreading corollas, 2 to 3cm in diameter appear at the end of upright stems above the water level. They are usually white-pink, or even lilac, with a yellow centre.

Aquatic yarrow will find its place in any water feature exposed to the sun, in non-calcareous water. It contributes to creating balance and achieving a biodiversity-friendly environment. Combine it in a pond or water feature with other oxygenating plants such as Elodea canadensis or Hippuris vulgaris. To adorn the edges of your water feature, consider an Iris ensata 'Gusto' with its magnificent bicoloured flowers, white and blue, and a Lysimachia nummularia with its numerous yellow flowers.