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Water poppy

Hydrocleys nymphoides

Also known as Hydrocleys nymphoides, Water poppy, Water-poppy, Yellow water poppy

FreshwaterFloatingRunnersPlantlets

Invasive. Water poppy is invasive and regulated in parts of Australia and elsewhere. Never release into the wild; dispose of in the trash.

Water poppy (Hydrocleys nymphoides)
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Care at a glance

Light
High light
CO2
No CO₂ needed
Growth rate
Fast
Placement
Floating
Type
Floating
Temperature
64–82°F (18–28°C)
pH
6.0–7.5
Hardness
3–15 dGH
Max height
11.8 in (30 cm)
Spread
39.4 in (100 cm)
Nutrient uptake
Root + water column
Growth region
Emersed
Difficulty
Easy
Origin
Central and South America
Family
Alismataceae

Overview

A marginal and floating pond plant more than a submersed aquarium plant: it wants bright light and roots in a rich substrate in shallow water, sending waxy leaves and yellow flowers to the surface. It is invasive. It is a declared or regionally regulated weed across Australia (Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria) and import is banned in several western US states, though it is not on the US federal noxious weed list. Never release it into natural waterways, and dispose of trimmings in the bin since it regrows readily from fragments.

In the wild

Native to still and slow-moving fresh water in Central and South America, where it roots in shallow mud and floats its foliage on the surface. It spreads by trailing runners that send down roots and grow new plantlets, forming dense floating mats topped with three-petalled yellow flowers.

Good to know

Hydrocleys nymphoides sits in the water-plantain family Alismataceae, not among the true water lilies its rounded floating leaves resemble. Each bloom lasts only about a day. The species reproduces largely by fragmentation and runners rather than seed, which is a big part of why it spreads so aggressively once loose.

Did you know

Did you know each cheerful yellow water poppy flower opens for just a single day before fading, so an established mat produces a steady succession of one-day blooms through the warm season.

Where to buy

Some links may not be the exact species or variety.

…or ask your local fish store.

Appears in

High-light plants · No-CO2 plants · Floating plants · Beginner plants · Fast growers

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