Common Name: Water Cabbage, Tropical Duckweed, Shellflower
Average Mature Size: Up to 10 inches diameter
Recommended Lighting: Medium to High
Water Lettuce is a popular floater for both indoor and outdoor setups. It thrives in bright lighting and is an excellent absorber of excess nutrients. One rosette of water lettuce is comprised of many thick, fuzzy leaves that have delightful little ruffles. New leaves form from the center of the plant, and they will sometimes produce small flowers. Each rosette will form large hanging root systems that provide shelter to small fish and fry.
Water Lettuce will propagate on its own by producing runners with solitary plantlets on the ends. To encourage your lettuce to grow larger, you can gently pinch or pull off the baby plantlets in order to conserve nutrients for the mother plant's growth. Your lettuce also will not be harmed if you completely remove leaves that are showing signs of rot or yellowing. You can manage this plant by fencing off portions of your water surface, or by simply plucking out unwanted plantlets and disposing of them. Always ensure that you dispose of aquarium waste properly, so that it cannot enter and endanger local waterways.
