Stratiotes aloides
Krebsschere
Common names: Wasseraloe
Photo: Jörg Hempel · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
This description was machine-translated.
Description
Stratiotes aloides, commonly known as the water centaury or water aloe, is a native floating aquatic plant that forms a rosette of sword‑shaped, serrated leaves reminiscent of aloe. For most of the year it drifts just below the water surface; in summer the rosette rises to display delicate white flowers. It provides habitat for dragonfly larvae and other aquatic organisms and is considered an indicator species for clean, low‑nutrient water. The species is legally protected in Germany; wild specimens may not be taken, but cultivated plants sold commercially are safe for use in private ponds. The sharply serrated leaf margins give the plant its name and require careful handling.
Care instructions
Plant the water centaury in still or slowly flowing water with a depth of 30 to 100 cm, preferably in a sunny to partially shaded spot. The plant regulates its buoyancy and will sink to the bottom in autumn to overwinter, rising again in spring around mid‑April. It does not need a substrate or fertilisation; it absorbs nutrients directly from the water, so overly nutrient‑rich conditions should be avoided. In summer, remove excess daughter rosettes that form from runners to prevent the water surface from becoming overgrown. A winter with an ice cover is harmless as long as the water does not freeze solid.
Soil & site
Soil pH
Soil type
moist, nutrient-rich, loamy, clayey
Feeding
Medium feeder
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