Author
James Darton
Contributing Editor
The ocean might be home to fluorescent bursts of colourful coral (despite appearances though, they’re not plants though, okay?!), but you can find a whole host of weird and wonderful aquatic plants in freshwater habitats around the world.
Cabomba
These freshwater plants are a mainstay of any discerning aquarium owner’s set-up: the feathery leaves are densely packed to create a fan-like effect.
Anubias
Anubias bring a splash of rich green to their freshwater surroundings, with thick foliage that is both lush and hardy. Despite its durable properties, they often seem somehow dainty to us, as they bob about gently.
The Waterwheel Plant
This distinctive, carnivorous plant has developed a unique way of catching its prey: its free-floating stem is surrounded by a whirl of snap-traps that encircle the plant and snare aquatic invertebrates in its clutches. Once triggered, the trap can close in less than 20 milliseconds, making it one of the fastest moving plants in the world.
Cape Pond Weed
Ignore the off-putting name - these delicately flowered plants are sweetly scented and produce edible buds which are widely used in the traditional cooking of its native South Africa.
Water hyacinth
Water hyacinths can be found floating around in the Amazon basin, its free-floating stems soaring as much as one metre above the surface. They develop extremely quickly, and during flowering season the rivers can be found swimming in beautiful lavender and pink petals that lend a surreal element to one’s stereotypical ideas of the Amazon.
