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Water Mimosa

Neptunia oleracea

Also called Garden Puff

Water Mimosa
Photo: KENPEI, CC BY-SA 3.0

Water mimosa is a pantropical, nitrogen-fixing aquatic or semi-aquatic perennial legume that floats on still water or grows at pond and lake edges. It is grown in ponds and water gardens, but can become invasive, so keep it contained.

Family
Fabaceae (Pea & bean family)
Grows as
Aquatic, Perennial
Light
Full sun, Part shade
Water
Keep the roots constantly wet or submerged, floating on water in a pond or tub.
Soil
Muddy pond bottom or moist garden soil at the water's edge; a rich, loamy mud is ideal.
Temperature
22–35 °C; protect below 10 °C
How easy
Easy
Safety
Not known to be toxic
Edible
Yes, some parts
Native range
Tropics & Subtropics
Climate
seasonally dry tropical

About

Neptunia oleracea (not to be confused with Neptunia plena) is a species of flowering plant in the legume family, Fabaceae. It is sometimes referred to in English by the common names water mimosa or sensitive neptunia. It is pantropical nitrogen-fixing perennial legume. Genus and common name come from Neptune, god of the sea, in reference to the aquatic habit of some species in the genus.

Its specific epithet oleracea means "vegetable/herbal" in Latin and is a form of holeraceus (oleraceus).

Where it grows

Primarily found growing prostrate in wet soils near the water's edge or floating on the water in relatively still-water areas.

Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Neptunia oleracea by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.

The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.

Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.

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