Hydrolea ovata
USDA, NRCS. 2018. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 28 March 2018). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA.
Illustration: USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA NRCS. Wetland flora: Field office illustrated guide to plant species. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service.
What is Blue Waterleaf?
Physical Characteristics
Leaves:
- 1.19-2.36 inches long
- 0.32-1 inches wide
Flowers:
- Bright blue or occasionally white
- Showy
- 0.32-1 inches wide
- Sepals are shorter than the flower
Fruit:
- Dry
- Egg-shaped or spherical
- Many seeded
- Small seeds
Stem:
- Stout
- Straight
- Spiny
- Rhizomes form clusters
Where Does it Grow?
Blue waterleaf can be found on the edges of and in the water of ponds, ditches and streams.
Pros and Cons of Blue Waterleaf
Waterleaf has no direct food value for wildlife. 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.