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Potamogeton perfoliatus
Also called Perfoliate Pondweed, Clasped Pondweed, Clasping Leaf Pondweed, Clasping Leaved Pondweed
Claspingleaf pondweed is a submerged perennial aquatic plant that grows in still or flowing fresh water and spreads by creeping rhizomes. It is easy to grow in a pond or large tub, provided it can root in sand or aquatic compost and nutrients are kept low.
Potamogeton perfoliatus (claspingleaf pondweed, perfoliate pondweed, redhead grass) is a perennial aquatic plant in the family Potamogetonaceae occurring in both standing and flowing freshwater habitats. It is widely distributed globally, occurring in all continents except South America and Antarctica.
Perfoliate pondweed is not widely cultivated, which is perhaps surprising as it is not ecologically demanding and is an attractive plant. In common with other pondweeds of this group it roots poorly from stem cuttings and is best propagated by division of the rhizomes. It is easy to grow in a garden pond or even in a barrel, but unlike some other submerged plants needs to be able to root in a suitable substrate such as sand or aquatic compost. Keeping nutrient levels low helps to prevent smothering by algae and more invasive aquatic plants. Plants being established should be weighted down initially to allow them to root, and benefit from being planted among other aquatic plants that can act as a 'nursery'. Transplants have a high survival rate once established.
P. perfoliatus may also be established from seed, which should be sown on a suitable substrate in shallow water.
Potamogeton perfoliatus has a broad global distribution, occurring in all continents except South America and Antarctica. It has been recorded from Asia (Afghanistan, India, Indonesia (Sumatra), Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan), Australia, North America (Eastern and SE US), Europe south to Spain, Central Italy and the Balkans and including Scandinavia, Britain, Ireland and Iceland, North Africa (Algeria, Tunisia, Egypt), the Near and Middle East. It is widespread in lakes and rivers in the British Isles and Ireland, and is common in much of Eurasia and North America, but has a more scattered distribution towards the southern edge of its range.
Alpine pondweed · Small Pondweed · Fen Pondweed · Grass-wrack pondweed · Curly pondweed · Little-leaf pondweed · Pondweed · Waterthread pondweed · Ribbonleaf pondweed · Variableleaf pondweed · Illinois pondweed · Potamogeton ×inbaensis
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Potamogeton perfoliatus 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.
