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Frog’s-Bit

Limnobium spongia

side view frog's-bit
frog's-bit drawing
frog's-bit top view

frog's-bit harvested

USDA, NRCS. 2018. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 28 March 2018). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA.
Illustration courtesy of University of Florida/IFAS Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants. Used with permission.

What is Frog’s-Bit?

Physical Characteristics

Leaves:

  • Thick
  • Leathery
  • Rounded or somewhat heart-shaped
  • Bright and shiny above
  • Reddish underneath with rounded lobes
  • Central disk of red, spongy cells on bottom
  • Leaf stalks are slender and have firm ridges

Stem:

  • Floating or rooted

Roots:

  • Whitish in color

Frog’s-Bit is often confused with water hyacinth. Although, the two plants are different in their roots and leaf stalks.

Where Does it Grow?

EDDMapS. 2024. Early Detection & Distribution Mapping System. The University of Georgia – Center for Invasive Species and Ecosystem Health. Available online at http://www.eddmaps.org/; last accessed January 17, 2024.

Is it Invasive?

Frog’s-bit can form dense mats that crowd out almost all other plants. It can be very aggressive in many water bodies.

Pros and Cons of Frog’s-Bit

Frog’s-bit seeds are eaten by waterfowl. Submerged portions of all aquatic plants provide habitats for many micro and macro invertebrates. These invertebrates in turn are used as food by fish and other wildlife species (e.g amphibians, reptiles, ducks, etc.). After aquatic plants die, their decomposition by bacteria and fungi provides food (called “detritus”) for many aquatic invertebrates.

How to Manage This Plant
Plant Glossary

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Aquatic plant photographs were provided by David Bayne, Jim Davis, Kelly Duffie, Billy Higginbotham, Michael Masser, John Clayton, Chetta Owens, Diane Smith, Joe Snow, Don Steinbach, Bridget Robinson Lassiter and Peter Woods.

You may use these photos, so long as you give credit to AquaPlant.

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