What does a water walnut flower look like? Plants for the pond: names of aquatic species

Rogulnik or chillim is a very plant that surprises with its life cycle. It starts with an amazing shape and grows into a beautiful overwater rosette, spreading leaves on the water surface of a fresh reservoir.

The bagel will decorate any water source where there are no strong currents. Nowadays, water walnut is rarely found anywhere - in some places in Siberia and in the Far East. However, the curiosity can be grown in an aquarium or home pond. Chilim will become the pride of the owners, since this plant is already listed in the Red Book. A grower will learn how to grow a roguelnik in a lake or pond in this helpful garden guide.

The plant is a tall stem with underwater and emergent leaves, belongs to the family of Rogulicaceae. The nut has several interesting names, formed due to the region of growth and culture of the people who inhabited it - "chilim", "devil's nut", "water chestnut" and "dragon".

Features of the structure of the flyer:

  • They have a linear shape, the latter are located above the water and have a diamond shape.
  • The leaves on the surface are very similar to the greenery of birch.
  • In summer, the resulting rosette begins to bloom with white or pinkish inflorescences. They emerge only in the morning and in the evening, in the afternoon the inflorescences are under water.
  • The leaves of the bunny take on a beautiful brownish-brown hue in the fall.
  • Chilim fruits are very similar to small dragon heads - they have 4 horns and an ornate body.

For their beauty and unusualness, chilim fruits have become famous all over the world. They are often used as decorative elements in compositions. The fruits of the plant have such an unusual shape for a reason. The "horns" of the nut are intended for migration from one body of water to another. Whenever an animal enters the water, the nut clings to its fur and travels on its "transport" to the next body of water. This is how the plant populations expanded. However, due to the massive destruction of wild animals, the walnut habitat has sharply decreased. Now the outlandish fruit is very rare.

Since the plant practically disappears due to its massive use in the recent past, it is listed in the Red Book.

Rogulnik has several species and is subdivided into annuals and perennials. For growing chillim at home, they use a champlet-leaved species, Japanese, Manchurian, Russian or Siberian. The plant prefers warm waters, fresh, without cold and fast underwater currents. It should be a lake or stagnant pond. In order to successfully grow a rare plant, you will have to work hard to create conditions for a roguer.

Rogulnik loves warm waters, with diffused sunlight. The water temperature is at least 23 °. Sunlight must constantly illuminate the water surface. Chilim prefers standing fresh water. The plant will not grow in a muddy body of water. The bottom must be clean and free of foreign matter.

It will not grow in small containers either; the rogler prefers a roomy and deep container.

The height of the nut stem can reach 3-4 m. It is impractical to grow the plant in small aquariums, since chillim is mainly bred for the sake of medicinal fruits. You can collect them in large quantities only from several plants, and not from one.

Much attention should be paid to the substrate for the roguer:

  • The reservoir is filled with silt, greasy clay and sand.
  • It is necessary to grow the plant only in pure silt without impurities.
  • Do not take the substrate from the first lake that comes across, try to find out if the reservoir is not polluted by industrial waste.
  • The success of growing a nut will depend on the quality of the substrate.

Of course, in cold regions, a roguelike will not grow in open water. In this case, it is worth considering a large home aquarium for the walnut. Otherwise, the plant does not require any special conditions other than those indicated.

The water nut is propagated by seeds. The fruits are stored in canvas bags or wooden boxes. The nut retains its germination for several years. fruit in water in compliance with all conditions - temperature and lighting.

  • The seeds are placed in soil at the bottom of the reservoir for 3 weeks. During this period, a sprout should appear. The root rises to the top and in an arc again descends into the ground. The nut floats to the surface. A socket is formed from it.
  • Seeds are planted in spring, as it is during this period that the plant wakes up and begins its life cycle.
  • If you plan to grow the flyer in an aquarium, and not in a pond, organize a special flowerpot for it. Fill a container with greasy clay, sand, and clean silt. It is in this container that the nut will develop. The water should be fresh, warm - 20 ° -25 °.

Lighting is important. Especially when the plant is grown at home. Direct the light onto the aquarium, it should illuminate the container for at least 10 hours. The walnut is usually placed in the background of the reservoir, next to the walls, in the corner. During the growing season, the plant "walks", that is, it must be able to move.

Providing all conditions and following the rules, the nut will grow strong and healthy. Chillim must be looked after, despite the fact that it develops well on its own.

After planting a nut in an aquarium, keep the water clean. It is advisable to change it in volume by about a quarter of the total displacement. The soil should also be free from contamination. The main requirement for the successful development of the nut is the maintenance of the temperature regime. Supercooled water contributes to the death of the plant. Lack of lighting will also lead to stunted growth and fruit formation. If the flyer does not have enough light, he eloquently shows this - the leaves do not spread over the water, but stretch upward, towards the sun.

If the plant is grown in a pond, care must be taken to avoid the cultivation of gastropods.

Coils and pond snails are considered the main "enemies" of the nut. They actively gnaw the greens of the plant. If a lot of them are divorced, then the roguer will most likely die. The stem and roots will be eaten by the shellfish. Small freshwater inhabitants will not cause significant harm, but it is worth protecting from large chillim.

In autumn, when the nut is fully ripe, the leaves and stem of the chilim die off. This moment should not be missed. Nuts need to be collected, dried and stored on time in a warm, dark place or used for their intended purpose - in cooking or for medical purposes. The aquarium or pond is cleaned. The next planting of seeds is carried out in the spring, as it is laid down in the biorhythm of the plant. Some chillim growers store the fruits in water, as they do in nature. This is the best option if the nuts are planned to be planted for the next harvest.

Application of water walnut

The nut is known for its beneficial composition for the body, which is often equated with cereals. That is, before the fruit was used to make flour, bread, flat cakes and other goodies were baked from it. In Tibet, cakes are baked from this flour or simply mixed with water and eaten. The fruits are also eaten raw, they are very similar in taste to chestnuts. It is added to salads, canned food, lecho and soups. One nut contains up to 200 calories in nutritional value.

In addition to its use in cooking, chilim is widely used in folk and traditional medicine:

  • In Asian countries, they are treated for atherosclerosis, kidney disease, impotence.
  • The use of walnut strengthens the immune system and has antispasmodic, choleretic, tonic and strengthening properties.
  • They use not only the fruits of the roguelite, but also the leaves and stems. A decoction is made from greens and rinsed with it. It is an excellent remedy for alopecia.
  • Chillim juice is used to treat snake and other insect bites.
  • Decoctions are used for colds, since the plant has an antiviral effect.
  • The simple use of raw nuts, 3-4 pieces a day, will relieve many ailments, strengthen the immune system and calm the nerves - it has a sedative effect.

Many growers use the fruit as a decorative element in flower arrangements. If you cover the walnut with special paint, you get an unusual souvenir. The fruits are used for decoration and ikeban. Ponds and ponds are decorated with it. Moreover, the plant is very rare - it becomes the real pride of the owner.

Rogulnik is an amazing plant with many benefits. Its cultivation will bring not only benefits for the whole family, but also a real aesthetic pleasure!

More information can be found in the video:

Plants floating on the water surface of a pond differ from all others in that their roots are not fixed in the soil. They float freely in the water while their leaves and flowers are on the surface. This is the great advantage of these plants: they protect the water from overheating and consume organics from the water, which prevents it from blooming. Among the floating plants there are species with very beautiful leaves and flowers, although their flowering is seasonal. Floating plants grow very quickly, so they require maintenance, pruning and removal of excess shoots. To prevent floating plants from occupying the entire surface of the pond, you can plant them in.


    Azolla

    Azolla- tiny ferns from tropical waters of America, floating on the surface of the water of this. Azollae (Salviniaceae). In general, the plants are similar to openwork moss: the branched stems are densely, like scales, covered with tiny leaves, each with two lobes - the lower submerged and upper floating, oval in shape. Adventitious roots hang down from the nodes into the water.

    Location: can live both in a well-lit and shaded pond.

    Care: the plant does not withstand low temperatures. Therefore, for the winter it is better to place it in a glass jar with water and soil and bring it into the room, and in April it should be planted again in the pond. From time to time, some of the plants are caught so that they do not fill the entire surface.

    Reproduction: division in the summer. They grow extremely quickly.

    Usage: for decorating the surface of medium and small reservoirs, in winter gardens. In tropical Asia, azolla has long been used as a fertilizer to increase soil fertility in rice fields; in terms of its ability to accumulate nitrogen, it is not inferior to legumes.

    Eichornia thick-stemmed

    Eichornia thick-stemmed, or water hyacinth(Eichhornia crassipes Solms. = Pontederia crassipes Mart.) A plant floating on the surface of the water. Pontederia. Poses a threat to water bodies in countries with mild climates. In Great Britain, it is grown in summer garden ponds as an ornamental plant.

    Leaves are dark green, shiny, with thickened petioles. Appearing at the end of summer, blue, pale lilac or yellow, orchid-like flowers sit on dense peduncles and are extremely decorative. The catalogs sometimes do not mention that the eichornia does not bloom in the cool summer.

    They are planted in June, before the first frosts, they are brought into the room, since the plant is low-tolerant and non-frost-resistant. Full growth requires a lot of warmth and nutrition. The height of the flowers above the water surface: 30 cm. Flowering time: August-September.

    Water hyacinth, or green plague - both of these names belong to the same plant, which, in fact, is not surprising. But in our case, it is interesting that the name of the plant is strictly associated with geography. In the south, in the tropics and subtropics, it is not called otherwise than "green, or water plague", and in countries with a temperate climate, everyone lovingly calls it water hyacinth. Although this aquatic plant has nothing to do with plague or hyacinth.

    In our country, eichornia, of course, will not become a “green plague”. Even, on the contrary, it will enrich the flora of backyard ponds. It should only be remembered that in winter it will inevitably die in open water bodies. But the content of "hyacinth" in the cold season in a vessel with water (at a temperature of 15-22 ° C, preferably additional lighting) or in an aquarium is quite possible. And in spring, transferred to the heated water of the garden reservoir, the plant will begin to multiply and delight with emerald greenery and beautiful inflorescences.

    Cultivation: in the summer in Central Russia it is not difficult to keep water hyacinth. It thrives and blooms in artificial and natural reservoirs with warm water. If the weather is constantly cool, the plant continues to build up vegetative mass, but may not bloom. At the onset of autumn, the eichornia is transferred to an aquarium with a backlight, where a well-known way to preserve it is used for a long time aquarists: a well-developed specimen is placed in a ring float so that the roots are submerged in the water, and the leaves, located on the float, do not touch the water and do not rot. At a temperature of + 24-26 ° C and normal aquarium lighting, water hyacinth hibernates successfully. There is another option for winter storage of eichornia - planting it in wet sand.

    It is worth mentioning another, also unique property of water hyacinth, which has been used in different countries for over a hundred years. Scientists have found that suspensions contained in the water are deposited on the colossal surface of the root system of the eichornia. Various organic pollutants are processed at a fantastic rate, that is, in fact, the dirtier the pond, the better the plant feels!

    Duckweed (Lemna)

    Duckweed (Lemna) needs no special introduction. Anyone who has been near lakes, ponds or old ditches in the summer has seen this plant, dragging the surface of the water with a dense emerald carpet.

    These are small plants floating on the surface or in the water column, consisting of fronds - leafy stems, fastened several pieces to each other, from which a single short filiform root departs. At the base of the fronds, there is a lateral pocket in which a tiny inflorescence can develop, consisting of two staminate and one pistillate flowers.

    In natural reservoirs, duckweed rarely bloom. Flowers have a simple structure: staminate flowers consist of only one stamen, while pistillate flowers have one pistil; there are no petals or sepals in such flowers. During the warm period, the plant reproduces vegetatively, with the help of young fronds separating from the mother plant. Duckweed hibernates in the form of buds, sinking to the bottom together with a dead plant.

    Several species of duckweed, which are part of the duckweed family, are widespread throughout the world, including in Russia. There are usually two types of duckweed: Duckweed(L. minor) and Duckweed three-lobed(L. trisulca).

    VIEW DESCRIPTION
    Duckweed(L. minor) Duckweed duckweed inhabits many water bodies and multiplies extremely quickly. The most common pond plant with flat elliptical fronds 3-4.5 mm long, floating on the surface of the water.
    Duckweed three-lobed(L. trisulca) Three-lobed duckweed grows relatively weakly, lives in the water column and rises to the surface during flowering. Differs in green translucent spoon-shaped fronds 5-10 mm long. For a long time, fronds are interconnected, forming balls that float in the water column and float to the surface during flowering. Duckweed strongly branches and forms on the surface of the water a blanket of small bright green fronds with one root below. Flowers very rarely appear in May-June.
    Duckweed, or common polyroot - Lemna rolуrhyza = Spirodela rolуrhyza Mnogorennik is not found very often in the same reservoirs, where two types of duckweed abundantly grow. A bunch of reddish or white roots extends from the underside of each stalk, which has a rounded ovoid shape. It rarely blooms in May-June. In a multiroot leaf, the upper side of the leaf blade is dark green, with clearly visible arcuate veins, and the lower side, immersed in water, is violet-purple. The plate is up to 6 mm in diameter.

    Location: all these types of duckweeds are cold-resistant and light-requiring. They live in reservoirs with stagnant or slowly flowing water.

    Care: it is necessary to constantly capture part of the population or by purifying the water to create conditions that are not conducive to rapid growth.

    Reproduction: mostly vegetative and very fast. Each stem, which looks like a small leaf, buds out from itself rather quickly new and new parts of the stems, which, while still having a connection with the main stems, give rise to new young plants.

    Species with individuals floating on the surface of the water can completely "tighten" a small body of water in a short time. Humpbacked and multi-rooted duckweed are especially aggressive. These plants are rarely deliberately introduced into the body of water. Most often they get there with the help of birds, frogs, newts and when transplanting other plants.

    It is difficult to completely get rid of duckweed, but its number can be limited by driving the plants to one place with a net or a stream of water from a garden hose, and then catching them with the same net. The extracted mass can be used for compost and as bird feed.

    Usage: these plants cleanse water bodies of carbon dioxide and supply oxygen, serve as food for fish and protect from the sun's rays. Despite this, you should never intentionally introduce duckweed into a pond, since if it appears in your pond, it will be almost impossible to eradicate it. Be careful also when bringing other plants into the pond - make sure that there is no duckweed on the plant itself and in the water.

    Pistia

    Pistia- a plant of this family floating on the surface of the water. Aroid. Unusual and moody. Does not survive in cool summers and quickly dies during frosts. Full growth requires a lot of warmth and nutrition.

    Pistia belongs to the aroid family and is widespread in fresh tropical and subtropical waters of both hemispheres. The inhabitants of the middle lane know it better as an aquarium plant. The rosettes of its leaves floating on the surface of the water are so delicate and beautiful that they are called “water rose”, “velvet rose”, “water salad” and also “water cabbage”.

    On sale only P. corpuscular, or water lettuce (R. stratiotes). Spongy, thickened, wedge-shaped or ovate folded leaves of the pistia are collected in a rosette and covered with dense white pubescence. In favorable conditions, the rosette of leaves can reach a height of 15 cm and a diameter of 25-40 cm. On its lower side there are branched roots floating in the water column, up to 25-30 cm long, which are an excellent natural filter. As soon as the diameter of the rosette exceeds 10 cm, the plant will bloom.

    Pistia flowers are very small, white and fragrant, collected in an inflorescence-cob, located in the center of a green fluffy blanket. Thin, branched roots provide a good breeding ground for fish; small greenish flowers are of no decorative interest.

    Location: solar reservoirs 10-40 cm deep. Pistia is thermophilic and very photophilous. The main requirement for the normal development of plants is bright light, better sunlight, but artificial is also possible. A rather high air humidity is also important for the plant.

    Landing: launching occurs after the establishment of stable heat. At the beginning of summer, as soon as the water warms up to a temperature of 10-15 ° C, the rosettes of the pistia can be placed in an open reservoir. In a warm summer, the plant will feel great there, growing and acquiring even denser and more bright pubescence. For full development, you need root contact with the ground, or at least the presence of fertile soil at the bottom.

    Care: hibernates in a light reservoir of a winter garden or an aquarium at a temperature not lower than 16 ° C. In late August and early September, small rosettes need to be transferred to an indoor aquarium for wintering.

    In winter, the pistia must be kept under bright illumination of the water surface with fluorescent lamps or incandescent lamps with a power of at least 100 watts. Incandescent light bulbs are less desirable as they can cause leaf burns, so they should be at least 30 cm away and the aquarium should be covered with glass to maintain sufficient humidity. The optimum lighting time for the gun is 12 hours a day. Often dies from lack of light and food. Suffering from snails. Prefers rather soft water.

    In the absence of an aquarium, plants in winter can be stored in a humid chamber on a cushion of marsh moss at a temperature of 12-14 ° C.

    Reproduction: reproduces itself and constantly gives a mustache, at the ends of which new rosettes are formed. Divide the plant in summer.

    Usage: Pistia is one of the most beautiful floating plants. It is better to design small reservoirs with it, where a water rose will beautifully set off the leaves and flowers of water lilies floating on the water and graceful panicles of decorative grasses, sedges and rushes growing in shallow water. It will be especially useful in ponds, kept in an exotic style, next to powerful specimens of cannes or graceful shoots of Cyperus.

    Vodokras ordinary (Hydrocharis morsus-ranae)

    (Hydrocharis morsus-ranae). In quiet river backwaters, in ponds and lakes, small leaves can often be seen on the surface of the water. Rounded, heart-shaped cut at the base, they resemble several times reduced water lily leaves. These are vodokra leaves (Hydrocharis). Numerous fleshy roots with air cavities extend downward from the shortened stem. Thanks to this structure of the roots, the plant floats. Flowers are dioecious. There are 2 species in the genus, in Europe and Asia. Both are found in Russia.

    For landscaping ponds use ordinary water paint, or froggy- H. morsus-ranae. It is found on the surface of stagnant and very slowly flowing waters, mainly in ponds, backwaters, oxbows, reed thickets of lakes from the tundra to the subtropical zone (Europe, the Caucasus, Western Siberia, the west of Eastern Siberia, Eastern Kazakhstan, Western China). Representative of the flora of central Russia.

    Perennial. In autumn, the foliage dies off, the plant hibernates at the bottom of the pond in the form of dormant buds, which rise to the surface at the beginning of summer and give rise to a new plant. The leaves are reniform in outline and reach 2.5-5 cm in diameter. It blooms with short-lived, but replacing each other throughout the summer with white flowers. On some plants of water color there are pistillate flowers, on others - staminate ones. Such plants are called dioecious. The height of the flowers above the water surface is 3-5 cm.

    Vodokras rarely develop fruits; the plant reproduces mainly vegetatively. From the shortened stem, like a “mustache” of a strawberry, lateral shoots extend, on which rosettes of young plants grow. By the fall, other shoots appear at the vodokras: thin, with large buds at the ends. The buds fall to the bottom of the reservoir and hibernate there. In the spring, air cavities form in them, and the kidneys rise to the surface of the water. They give life to new plants. Hibernating buds of water paint are covered with a mucous membrane. They stick to the paws of birds, the fur of aquatic mammals. So animals move this cute plant from reservoir to reservoir.

    Landing: dipped in water in a sunny or semi-shady place. Vodokras grows well both in light and slightly shaded reservoirs with stagnant or slowly flowing water.

    Care: can tolerate frosty winters if the plant is submerged below the freezing point of the water. For the winter, a few buds can be placed in a glass jar with water and soil, and in April they can be pulled out and thrown on the muddy bottom of the pond.

    Reproduction: division of shoots in March-April and buds hibernating at the bottom.

    Usage: grows poorly and is therefore suitable for a small garden pond or mini-pond. It is not by chance that Vodokras got its name. During flowering, it really decorates the pond. Small graceful flowers with three white petals, bright yellow pistils and stamens are in perfect harmony with the dark surface of stagnant waters. This plant is especially appreciated for the fact that it cleans water well and prevents the development of algae.

    Water nut, Chilim, Rogulnik (Trapa)

    The plant is not called a roguer for nothing. Mature drupes have hard, curved “horns”. With them, a water nut, like an anchor, clings to irregularities at the bottom. In some places, chilim is called the devil's nut. Indeed, one can discern in the fruits a resemblance to the horned head of a devil.

    Currently, 30 species are known. Rogulnik is an annual plant and does not tolerate autumn frosts. It blooms only in hot summers and rarely sets fruit in Northern Europe. The plant has become extremely rare these days. It is protected in several reserves and is listed in the Red Book.

    On the quiet surface of a lake or river bay, you can occasionally see a rosette of floating chillim leaves. On the leaf petioles there are swellings filled with airy tissue. Thanks to such bubbles, the plant floats. In summer (July-August), flowers with four white petals appear in the leaf axils. They protrude slightly above the water. Flowers appear above water only in the morning or evening. Chilim is a predominantly self-pollinating plant. Pollination often occurs in closed flowers under water.

    In autumn, the fruits of the water nut ripen. Botanists call these fruits drupes. One plant produces 10-15 fruits. When heavy nuts begin to form from the ovaries, the air cavities in the leaf petioles increase, keeping the plant on the surface of the water. Neither fish, nor duck, nor water rat dare to touch hard chillim nuts with sharp horns. When the nuts are ripe by autumn, the rosette of leaves floats like a ship loaded with nuts. Large fruits hang in the water like anchors. Already in late autumn, the leaves and stalk of chilim rot, and the nuts fall to the bottom, fixing themselves in it with their horns. The anchor fruit caught on the bottom holds the chillim for a long time, and the flow of water is unable to tear off and carry the plant away.

    Location: frost-free body of water, can be grown in standing or running water

    The soil: if the reservoir is without soil, then the nuts are planted in a container and drowned in this form

    Landing: into a reservoir with a thick layer of fertile soil - nuts are simply thrown to a suitable depth. In winter, nuts can be kept in the refrigerator at home, in a jar of water, in spring they begin to sprout on their own.

    Care: try to collect ripe nuts. An indispensable condition for a prosperous existence is the absence in the reservoir of at least such large mollusks as coils and pond snails, which happily eat young leaves of a roguelite.

    Reproduction: seeds, the fruits acquired in spring are thrown into the water. But it is best to plant in small pots filled with silt and place them at a depth of 10-15 cm - in the area where the water warms up best. Seeds germinate at a water temperature of about 25-30 ° C. The same temperature is most favorable for their development. When floating leaves appear, it's time to transfer grown specimens to a greater depth - about a meter. Due to the fact that water nuts do not have roots, they can be safely moved from place to place by simply tying them to an "anchor" pebble.

    Usage: suitable for all bodies of water, but not always reproducible. Nuts are eaten boiled, raw and baked.

    Based on materials from Wikipedia and EDSR

A decorative pond is often associated with a decorated coastal line and water lilies, although in fact there are a huge variety of plants that can decorate and complement the water surface. Moreover, if you correctly select the "inhabitants" of a decorative pond, then the reservoir can become a highlight of the suburban area, which does not require constant maintenance.

Oxygenator plants (underwater)

Almost all oxygenator plants do not perform decorative functions, but at the same time they are the most important "inhabitants" of the reservoir. After all, it is thanks to these plants that the ornamental pond can remain clean and well-groomed without additional effort.

Often, the leaves, flowers and stems of these plants are under water and only occasionally appear on the surface, therefore they are often called underwater. The purpose of the "underwater rescuers" is to absorb carbon dioxide and normalize the oxygen balance in their environment.

The most popular representatives of oxygen generators:

  • Autumn swamp

Autumn bog is a perennial herb that is partially or wholly submerged in water; only small light green leaves are visible above the surface. Swamp propagates in spring or summer using cuttings.


  • Urut spikelet

Urut spicate is a perennial aquatic herb with thin branching stems of a reddish or brown color. Urut multiplies very quickly and is able to displace other plants by forming dense clusters.


  • Hornwort dark green

Dark green hornwort is a long-stemmed plant with green needle-like leaves and a reddish stem. Hornwort grows very quickly and is very unpretentious. Propagated by simple division of the stem, it is enough to take a very small piece.


Plants floating on the surface

A characteristic feature of plants floating on the surface is the leaves and stems that are on the surface of the water. These plants are irreplaceable sun protection, they prevent the development of blue-green algae and help to create a stable temperature regime in the decorative reservoir.

In addition to the "rescue" functions, plants living on the surface have decorative functions. Typically, these plants have beautiful broad leaves and bright, showy flowers.

The most popular representatives of these species:

  • Azolla

Azolla is a beautiful aquatic plant of the genus of floating ferns. Its small paired leaves float on the surface of the water, forming large colonies, which in the warm season are able to grow to significant sizes in just a few weeks.


  • Vodokras

Vodokras is a perennial plant with creeping stems and medium-sized white flowers. Sand or fine silted gravel with a thickness of 4-5 cm is suitable as a soil for water paint. This perennial propagates by planting seeds and segments of rhizomes. It is recommended to plant it in an unshaded place or in partial shade.


  • Water walnut

Water walnut or chillim is a rather rare annual aquatic plant today, listed in the Red Book. Reproduction and planting are very simple - just throw the chillim nuts in the required place with a suitable depth. If there is not enough fertile soil in the reservoir, then the nuts are planted in containers and then heated. An important condition for the existence of an aquatic plant is the absence of large mollusks that eat the leaves of the roguelite.


  • Wolfia

Wolfia is one of the smallest flowering plants, characterized by green elliptical formations (no more than 1 mm in diameter). This small plant needs good lighting, but at the same time it must be protected from direct sunlight. Wolfia is not demanding on the temperature and hardness of the water, but needs a little movement of the water.


  • Duckweed

Duckweed, along with reeds, is one of the most common aquatic plants. The duckweed looks like a cluster of small leaves floating on the surface of the water. Duckweed inhabits well-lit standing or slowly flowing bodies of water. From leaving, only the periodic catching of a part of the duckweed population should be distinguished, since it grows very quickly. Duckweed reproduces vegetatively and, as mentioned above, very quickly.


  • Water hyacinth

Water hyacinth is a flowering aquatic plant that stands out with large oval-shaped leaves and large inflorescences slightly similar to garden hyacinth flowers. Water hyacinth prefers bodies of water with good lighting and high water temperatures due to its tropical origin. Under good living conditions, it can multiply so quickly that it begins to displace other plants from the reservoir, leaving them without oxygen.


Deep sea plants

Most of these plants thrive when planted to a depth of 2 meters. The best option for cultivating deep-sea plants is to plant them in special containers that are placed at the bottom of the reservoir. When choosing suitable flowers, the frost resistance of the plant should be taken into account; this or that flower will be able to overwinter in a decorative reservoir.

  • Lotus

Lotus is an incredibly beautiful herbaceous amphibian plant that can grow for several years thanks to its massive root, in which it accumulates useful substances. The lotus owes its popularity to its large creamy, yellow or pink flowers.

The lotus can be propagated by both seeds and rhizomes. Moreover, in the second case, the lotus can bloom as early as the next season. When planting a lotus, remember that this flower loves clean water, so it is better to sprinkle the bottom of the reservoir with small pebbles and do not forget about periodic cleaning of the water. In the spring, if the lotus has grown, it must be cut off, first of all, removing old and dying flowers and leaves.


  • Aponogeton

Aponogeton is a widespread rhizome aquatic plant with large lancet-shaped leaves. For the development and inconspicuous flowering, this plant requires a water temperature in the reservoir of at least 18 ° C, so it is often planted directly into the water directly in pots, and in the fall it is taken to the basement of the house for wintering.


  • Egg capsule

The water lily is an aquarium ornamental aquatic plant of the water lily family. This type of water lily has a powerful root system, so the soil layer at the bottom of the reservoir should be at least 7 cm. For full growth, the egg capsule needs two more things: good lighting and clean water. It is advisable to change the water at least 1-2 times a month, if it is an artificial reservoir, or install water purification filters and cover the bottom with pebbles to reduce the amount of turbidity in the water.


  • Nympheanic

Nymphaean or swamp flower is a perennial deep-water plant that stands out for its height, which depends on the water level in the reservoir and can reach one meter. Flowers and green leaves resembling a water lily develop on a long stem. Swamp flowers are more like buttercups and are collected in small clusters. The nymphaean gives its preference to quiet illuminated creeks and shallow bodies of water.


  • Silkberry

Silkberry belongs to the buttercup family and is often found in standing or slowly flowing bodies of water. In artificial reservoirs, it is often used to enrich water with oxygen, moreover, it quite easily adapts to life on land, which makes it very popular. The mulberry plant reproduces vegetatively with the help of stem segments.


Coastal plants

In order for the reservoir not to stand out from the general design of the summer cottage, it is necessary to take care of a smooth transition between water and land, for this it is necessary to select plants that will decorate the coastal line and help provide oxygen under the ice crust in winter.

  • Swamp

Perennial aquatic plant, very hardy. The stems are submerged in water, thin, curved, branched. It grows in lakes, rivers and canals, prefers stagnant or slowly flowing water, but can also inhabit waterlogged soil - damp hollows and periodically flooded areas.

The swamp is very unpretentious. Suitable for cultivation are light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy clay soils. He needs a well-lit place, but on very hot days the plant can be shaded. For good growth, the depth of the soil during planting should be at least 15-20 cm.


  • Water pine

Being a predominantly marsh plant, the water pine grows well in shallow water, but it can grow completely under water. This plant is very unpretentious and winter hardy. As a rule, it is planted in growth restraints or in containers with any soil, which can be immersed to a depth of 1 m. It grows equally well both in the sun and in the shade.


  • Iris

Some hygrophilous species of the genus Iris can grow in close proximity near water bodies. They are able to grow in shallow waters and in the coastal zone on excessively moist soils. Most of them grow successfully when the rhizomes and lower parts of the stems are immersed in water. The moisture-loving species include Kempfer's Iris and Siberian Iris.


  • Marsh marigold

Marsh marigold is a beautiful primrose of bright yellow, orange or golden colors with a fleshy stem. The plant is very fond of well-moistened soil, so it is ideal for planting near water bodies. The marigold is very unpretentious in care: any fertile soil is suitable for it, almost any lighting (partial shade is preferable). The marigold reproduces by dividing the bush.


  • Reed

Lake reeds are one of the most widespread and unpretentious perennial aquatic plants of the sedge family. Reeds are planted in shallow water, reproduction is usually carried out in early spring by dividing the rhizome. After planting, the plant requires abundant watering and good lighting.


Name: the plant is not called a roguer for nothing. Mature drupes have hard, curved “horns”. With them, a water nut, like an anchor, clings to irregularities at the bottom. In some places, chilim is called the devil's nut. Indeed, one can discern in the fruits a resemblance to the horned head of a devil.

Description: currently 30 species are known. Rogulnik is an annual plant and does not tolerate autumn frosts. It blooms only in hot summers and rarely sets fruit in Northern Europe. The plant has become extremely rare these days. It is protected in several reserves and is listed in the Red Book.

Floating bagel, or water nut - Trapa natans

On the quiet surface of a lake or river bay, you can occasionally see a rosette of floating chillim leaves. On the leaf petioles there are swellings filled with airy tissue. Thanks to such bubbles, the plant floats. In summer (July-August), flowers with four white petals appear in the leaf axils. They protrude slightly above the water. Flowers appear above water only in the morning or evening. Chilim is a predominantly self-pollinating plant. Pollination often occurs in closed flowers under water.

In autumn, the fruits of the water nut ripen. Botanists call these fruits drupes. One plant produces 10-15 fruits. When heavy nuts begin to form from the ovaries, the air cavities in the leaf petioles increase, keeping the plant on the surface of the water. Neither fish, nor duck, nor water rat dare to touch hard chillim nuts with sharp horns. When the nuts are ripe by autumn, the rosette of leaves floats like a ship loaded with nuts. Large fruits hang in the water like anchors. Already in late autumn, the leaves and stalk of chilim rot, and the nuts fall to the bottom, fixing themselves in it with their horns. The anchor fruit caught on the bottom holds the chillim for a long time, and the flow of water is unable to tear off and carry the plant away.

Rogulnik seeds do not lose their germination for 40-50 years. In the spring, the nut begins to germinate, but not like the seeds of other plants. In chilim, at first, a long, like a rope, cotyledon is formed, then the stem develops and, last of all, the root, which first rises up, then falls down, forming an arc.

The inside of the fruit is a white, tasty seed. Previously, chilim was widespread in Russia, and the fruits were sold in wagons on the markets. In the state of Kashmir in India, about 40 thousand people eat chilim fruits for five months a year. Hindus eat them with salt and pepper, boil a stew and bake bread. Chilim is specially bred on the island of Sri Lanka, in Japan, China, in southern Africa to the mouth of the Zambezi River. The name of Lake Nyasa (Southeast Africa) in translation into Russian means "dwelling of the water chestnut".

Many years ago, in the Krasnodar Territory, chilim was sold on the market in bags and even whole wagons. At the moment, chilim is listed in the Red Book of Russia as an endangered plant, although there is a lot of chilim on the Alatyr River in the Nizhny Novgorod region. Near the city of Murom, not far from the Oka River, there is a whole lake called Orekhovy, because a lot of water nuts were caught from it during the summer.

Photo left Knyazheva Valeria
Photo right Polina Chuck

Landing: into a frost-free reservoir with a thick layer of fertile soil - nuts are simply thrown to a suitable depth. If the reservoir is without soil, then the nuts are planted in a container and drowned in this form. In winter, nuts can be kept in the refrigerator at home, in a jar of water, in spring they begin to sprout on their own.

Care: try to collect ripe nuts. An indispensable condition for a prosperous existence is the absence in the reservoir of at least such large mollusks as coils and pond snails, which happily eat young leaves of a roguelite.

Reproduction: seeds, the fruits acquired in spring are thrown into the water. But it is best to plant in small pots filled with silt and place them at a depth of 10-15 cm - in the area where the water warms up best. Seeds germinate at a water temperature of about 25-30 ° C. The same temperature is most favorable for their development. When floating leaves appear, it's time to transfer grown specimens to a greater depth - about a meter. Due to the fact that water nuts do not have roots, they can be safely moved from place to place by simply tying them to an "anchor" pebble.

Usage: suitable for all bodies of water, but not always reproducible. Boiled nuts are eaten
raw and baked.

History and geography: In Eurasia, chilim is distributed from the Danube basin to the Kaliningrad region, in the forest-steppe regions of the European part of Russia, in northern Kazakhstan, in the south of Western Siberia. The mountains of Central Asia are insurmountable for him, but the Amur basin contains the largest fragment of the area on the territory of our country. In fact, this fragment is only the northern part of a much more extensive area covering the east of China, Southeast Asia and even India. Waternuts also live in the waters of East Africa. It is there, in the south, that the true meaning of the specific fruits of this plant becomes obvious. After all, the local reservoirs exist only in the wet season, and then dry up. The fruits remaining in this place must resist both drought and the many who want to feast on their contents. No wonder their shell is so hard. In order to more reliably preserve their habitat, water nuts are tricked - every spring (or, as in the tropics, every wet season) not all seeds germinate, but only a part of them. And if suddenly the plants in this season are unable to produce seeds, the population will still not disappear - the next year others will sprout.

Photo of Knyazhev Valery

To the north, the water walnut got into one of the warm and humid eras, and so it remained here, having adapted to frost instead of drought. True, the seeds of northern nuts do not tolerate a lack of moisture at all, therefore, they can be stored and transported only in water or in wet moss.

There is this plant and not far from Moscow - in the east of the region, waternuts live in the oxbows of the Oka and Klyazma. They are less common in the Smolensk and Kaluga regions.

The Soviet botanist Vasiliev in the fifties and sixties described as many as thirty species of water walnut on the territory of the USSR, but most of them, of course, are just geographically isolated races of the same species (Trapa natans). However, in the Far East, especially in the lakes in the south of Primorye, one can find very different populations. Some of them are probably worthy of the status of separate species. Such are, for example, Maksimovich's water nut (Trapa maximowiczii) with small (10-15 cm) rosettes of leaves and tiny, about 1 cm, hornless fruits, or a large Siberian water nut (Trapa sibirica) with fruits reaching as many as 6 see It is interesting that 3-4 such species can live in the same lake, while the mixing of their characters in the offspring does not occur.

The process of spreading the fruit of the water nut from the reservoir to the reservoir is interesting. Ripe fruits are almost unable to be carried by water - they are too heavy and instantly sink. You cannot rely on being swallowed by birds or fish - the fruits are too large. Instead, the various races of chilim have special bristles and notches on their “horns”, which are very conducive to the fruit's attachment ... to the wool. Indeed, the main distributors of water nuts are large ungulates that enter the water for watering or just to “take a bath”. However, both in the steppe and forest zones of Eurasia, the number of ungulates during the period of human domination has dramatically decreased, which was one of the reasons for the reduction in the range of water nuts. Meanwhile, at the end of the 19th century in the Ryazan region, the fruits of chilim were an important source of income for the Prioksky villages. They were eaten raw, added to flour and transported to fairs by carts. And in southern Siberia, they often completely replaced grain in flour.

It is not surprising that, as a result, the area of ​​the water walnut was greatly reduced by the middle of the 20th century, and within European Russia it remained only in a small number of floodplain lakes. On the territory of warmer Ukraine and Southeastern Europe, chilim is found somewhat more often, especially in the vast deltas of the Danube, Dnieper and Dniester. However, throughout Europe, the range of water nuts is decreasing, this species is included in the Red Book of Russia.

But in our time, not always willingly, man helped this relict species. The fact is that the conditions in the waters of North America, which are warmer compared to Europe, are ideal for chilim. As a result, waternuts, accidentally introduced to the North American continent, have spread to many rivers and lakes in the eastern part of the continent. It can be considered that in this case people "restored historical justice" - after all, until the last glaciation, a species of water nut, related to the Eurasian, lived in America, but later completely died out. And in Australia, waternuts have become a real scourge of a few fresh water bodies - in hot climates, in the complete absence of herbivorous fish, they grow so quickly that they fill the entire water surface. They are not afraid even of the drought common for this continent - after all, the fruits are adapted precisely to such climate fluctuations.

In Russia, thermal power plants with cooling ponds have become an unexpected help for chilim. So, the northernmost population of water walnut, living in the southeast of the Tver region, owes its existence to the Konakovskaya GRES.

based on materials:
S. Kuptsov "Evriala and Chilim" // "Garden and Sadik" -3-2006
Andrey SISEYKIN "Chilim" // "In the world of plants" - 2007 - №11

It is pleasant to relax at the dacha next to a beautifully designed lake or a small waterfall. Plants for the pond are selected depending on the design and area of ​​the reservoir. If the lake is large enough, there is no limit for imagination, you can plant a large number of all kinds of plants. Small configurations impose a number of restrictions, since plants destroy each other in close quarters, and water will not be visible either.

A pond at a summer cottage will look even more interesting if it is decorated with floral plants.

Design criteria

Before buying plants for a reservoir, you need to clarify:

  1. The place from where the main view of the pond will open. In order not to close the perspective, dwarf coastal plants are planted in the foreground.
  2. What kind of plants do you want to see in your lake - deep water, floating, oxygen generators or embankments?
  3. Are your chosen plants able to overwinter outdoors? For convenience, the plants can be planted in trellised containers, which are removed to the basement for the winter. Unpretentious species in spacious reservoirs are planted in the soil.

Classification of aquatic plants for artificial reservoirs

Floating plants are not attached to the bottom of the reservoir.

  1. Floating plants. They do not attach by their roots to the bottom, but float in the upper part of the water surface. These include: duckweed, pemphigus, turcha marsh, azole, wolfia, pitya, vodokras, water walnut and hyacinth, zerushnik. hydrokleis, luronium and so on.
  2. Oxygen generator plants release oxygen and absorb carbon dioxide, thereby preventing the active growth of algae and ooze overgrowth. Oxygen produces urut, pond, elodea, hornwort and others.
  3. Deep-sea plants are rooted to the bottom, but on the surface they have beautiful flowers and leaves. The most popular are lotuses and water lilies. Pond, marsh iris and calla also belong to this type.
  4. Plants of shallow water are planted closer to the coast - these are water pine, marigold, borer, barnacle, ditto, arrowhead, reed, cattail, willowweed and others.
  5. Coastal plants are used to decorate the banks - they are sedge, anemopsis, wild rosemary, veronica, basilisnik, highlander, loosestrife, Siberian chistyak, coin loosestrife, swimsuit, primrose, tradescantia and others.

Factors influencing the choice of plants

If the pond has a basic perspective, the plant composition is built so that vigorous plants do not obscure the view of the reservoir. They look good in the background. Low-growing or ground cover vegetation is placed near the resting place, so the pond will be visible, in full view.

For small reservoirs, reeds are used.

Reed, hogweed, cattail, reed, angelica and rhubarb are used as tall plants for reservoirs with an area of ​​more than 3.5-4 m 2. For miniature ponds, arrowhead, calamus, bracken, daylily and chastoha are suitable. On the front overview part, you can plant a low-growing cinquefoil, bergenia, marigold and medicinal watercress.

If you like contrasting shapes, pick up plants with long xiphoid leaves (cattail, calamus, daylily, reed, susak) in composition with rounded ones (water lily, lotus, badan, chastuha). When looking at the flora for your pond, pay attention to the flowering periods. Choose them so that cute flowers delight the eyes all season. Blossoming opens with berry, marigold, cinquefoil and core. The meadowsweet, water lily, hogweed, susak and angelica are picking up the baton. Next come the daylily and marshmallows.

If you like variety, place your plants in containers. This makes it easier to replace them with other flowering species. Then there will be an all-season bloom around the lake. And the appearance of the pond will constantly change and will not have time to get bored.

In a small reservoir, you need to plant 1-2 types of plants of each type. They are distributed in small, separately standing, groups so that they do not destroy each other when they grow. At first it may seem that there are not enough plants, but this is a misleading impression.

Here are some tips to take note of:

Water lilies are suitable for any type of reservoir.

  1. Deep-water plants and plants floating on the surface in the country should cover no more than 50% of the water surface.
  2. The aquatic plants for the pond are planted according to the depth at which they are able to grow.
  3. Marsh plants are planted using drainage.
  4. Some plant species are prone to strong growth and oppression of their neighbors, so you need to monitor their reproduction.
  5. When making out a pond, decide which type of planting of plants suits you - soil or container.

Planting plants in soil involves several stages:

  1. At the bottom of an empty reservoir, fertile soil is poured, consisting of compost, sand and rotted mullein, with a layer of about 8 cm.
  2. Coastal tall plants are buried closer to the shores, and deep-water ones in the central sector.
  3. The entire bottom surface is covered with a 2-4 cm layer of river sand. It must protect the roots and soil from erosion.
  4. Do not use mineral fertilizers when planting, as they cause water bloom, that is, increased algae growth.

Please note that planting aquatic plants in the ground makes it difficult to clean and maintain the pond. In addition, it becomes more difficult to control their proliferation. Plants can die completely during winter if they are not dug up and moved to another location.

Another option for placing aquatic plants in a pond is to plant them in containers. It is easy to put them in the cellar for wintering, and take them to the pond at the beginning of the season. As you see fit, you can easily rearrange the containers and change the composition in and around the lake.

Rules for placing plants in containers:

The lotus can be the centerpiece of a pond decoration.

  1. Choose spacious trellis tanks so that the root system has enough room for propagation.
  2. The color of the container should be discreet, otherwise it will be visible under water. Brown tanks look harmonious near the pond. As a last resort, the pots can be hidden behind decorative fences or stone compositions.
  3. To prevent the soil from being washed out of the tank, it is better to cover the bottom and walls with burlap.
  4. Then the plant is placed inside.
  5. A fertile mixture is poured over it, including soil, compost and sand. Please note that the tank is not completely filled; there should be another 4 cm to the top edge.
  6. Sometimes clay balls with bone meal are placed on top as fertilizer.
  7. To protect against soil washout, the entire space up to the upper edge is filled with gravel. This procedure helps prevent the container from tipping over in the water.
  8. Next, the tank with the plant is placed at the required depth for it or placed on the shore.

Usually, aquatic plants are planted from late spring to autumn. In winter, planting aquatic plants is not advisable, as they can freeze.

Plants are not advised to be placed in a newly built pond, as building materials such as concrete, PVC, plastic wrap, liquid rubber and others emit chemicals that can kill or poison vegetation. Wait a few months, or better decorate the pond next season.

When purchasing aquatic and coastal plants, consult with the seller about how much free space you need around each of them. Do not forget that the summer cottage needs care, then it will delight you and bring pleasure. Collect dry leaves and dead shoots from the surface with a net. Clean regularly with pond scissors or pruning shears. Disinfection of water is of great importance. If there are fish and frogs in the pond, the rules for disinfecting the pond are somewhat different, but you still need to do this.

What plants to plant in a miniature pond?

Experts advise focusing on the area of ​​the water surface. A small pool can be populated with duckweed and three-lobed duckweed. A green carpet of leaves and roots forms on the surface of the water. Even a small island of duckweed over the summer can occupy the entire area of ​​the pond. It is suitable for ponds with fish, at the same time serving as food and protecting the water from overheating.

Alternatively, water hyacinth, dwarf water lilies or egg capsules are suitable. On the shore, it is recommended to place a cuff, gravilat, plantain ditties, cuckoo flowers, dwarf iris or swamp forget-me-not. From a growth control point of view, it is more convenient to plant the plants in containers.

Choosing plants for a miniature pond is more difficult, since there is a limit on the area.

Aquatic plants for a large pond in the country

An extensive reservoir on the site is a highlight of landscape design, so it needs planning and project creation. The pond, more than 1 m deep, warms up less, and therefore does not overgrow with small algae, therefore it is easier to care for it. In the reservoir, you can make longline banks for arranging containers with various marsh and coastal plants.

If conifers fit into the chosen design concept, the banks can be decorated with rhododendrons, boxwood or conifers. In the coastal strip, in the water, strong reeds, cattails, reeds, buzulnik and rogers look good, or undersized ones - badan, funkia, pontederia and lysichiton. On the shore, near the water edge, the serpentine mountaineer and marsh iris are beautifully blooming.

The central part of the lake will be decorated with delicate water lilies (nymphea) or lotus flowers. Floating plants for the pond continues with an unusual, but very colorful water walnut (rogulnik) with pretty leaves and fruits.

Plants in a pond can decorate any body of water, the main thing is to arrange them taking into account the landscape, the characteristics of growth and the listed tips. If you want to enjoy the created beauty for a long time, keep it clean and tidy, follow the rules for caring for plants and wintering conditions.

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