Water-soldier ©Dr Malcolm Storey
Water-soldier
Scientific name: Stratiotes aloides
Water-soldier grows submerged in ponds and open water, and pops up over summer, looking like the top of a pineapple! This rare plant displays white flowers and shelters many aquatic insects.
Species information
Statistics
Height: up to 5cmConservation status
Classified as Near Threatened on the Vascular Plant Red Data List for Great Britain.
When to see
January to DecemberAbout
The free-floating water-soldier is a rare aquatic plant that can naturally be found in ponds and still, open water, mostly in central and eastern England. However, it is often grown in ponds outside of its natural range, where it can escape into local water bodies and become highly invasive, swamping out local vegetation.Water-soldier grows beneath the water, staying submerged for most of the year. From June to August, it surfaces and flowers, displaying white blooms. Like other aquatic plants, it offers resting and sheltering places for aquatic insects like dragonfly and damselfly larvae. Norfolk hawkers favour sites with plenty of water-soldier.