Gratiola officinalis

Gratiola officinalis is better known as the officinal Gratiola, or even as the "herb of the poor man". It is a perennial whose tuft spreads and bears pretty little white-pink flowers all summer long. It is prolific and capable of colonising waterlogged soils. It is the perfect companion for other semi-aquatic perennials around large basins.

Gratiola officinalis belongs to the Plantaginaceae family. It is a cousin of foxgloves, speedwells, and snapdragons. This plant is native to temperate zones in Europe. It is present in damp meadows, swamps, along watercourses, and in ditches. Depending on the region, it is called Grace of God, herb of the poor man, little foxglove, hedge hyssop, centaurium, and God's herb, which are all names that recall its ancient medicinal properties. It is an herbaceous perennial plant with creeping roots. It is capable of spreading horizontally thanks to the base of its stems, which lie on the ground and take root. The aerial vegetation emerges in spring, forming a tuft of leafy stems that can reach an average height of 40cm (16in). The stems are hollow, square in cross-section and knotted. They bear linear to lanceolate leaves, which are toothed along the edge. They are opposite on the stem, yellowish-green, and adorned with small translucent glands. Flowering takes place from June to August. It consists of small flowers 1 to 1.8cm (1in) long. The solitary flowers are borne in the axils of the leaves. Each flower is composed of 2 tubular lips and a lower lip with 3 lobes. They are white, finely veined with purple-red.

Plant it on the edge of a pond or a permanent pool, under 5 to 15cm (2 to 6in) of water, or in soil that will remain permanently waterlogged. Technically, your pond will maintain its balance (i.e., clear water) by combining the following trio: floating plants (water lilies and water nymphs), submerged plants with strong oxygenating power (water crowfoot, pondweed, and water lettuce), and very shallow water plants on the edge (Japanese iris, fern, and horsetail).

Green the banks with more sophisticated and sculptural plants to create an enchanting tableau, such as Virginia Sweetspire 'Little Henry' (a small fragrant white bush) and the variegated sweet flag (Acorus grass).