Translate this page:

Summary

Form: Spreading or horizontal, Variable spread.

Physical Characteristics

Lemna gibba is a PERENNIAL growing to 0.2 m (0ft 8in) at a fast rate.The species is monoecious (individual flowers are either male or female, but both sexes can be found on the same plant).
Suitable pH: neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It cannot grow in the shade. It can grow in water.

UK Hardiness Map US Hardiness Map

Synonyms

Plant Habitats

Pond;

Edible Uses

Edible Parts: Leaves
Edible Uses:

Leaves - raw or cooked[270]. The leaves are cultivated in Israel foe use as a salad or vegetable[270].

References More on Edible Uses

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

None known

References More on Medicinal Uses

The Bookshop: Edible Plant Books

Our Latest books on Perennial Plants For Food Forests and Permaculture Gardens in paperback or digital formats.

Edible Tropical Plants

Food Forest Plants for Hotter Conditions: 250+ Plants For Tropical Food Forests & Permaculture Gardens.

Edible Temperate Plants

Plants for Your Food Forest: 500 Plants for Temperate Food Forests & Permaculture Gardens.

PFAF have eight books available in paperback and digital media.

More Books

PFAF have eight books available in paperback and digital formats. Browse the shop for more information.

Shop Now

Other Uses

None known

Special Uses

References More on Other Uses

Cultivation details

Landscape Uses:Container. Requires a sunny position in still water that is rich in nitrates and lime[200]. Duckweed can be a troublesome pond weed though it is easily controlled by simply scooping it out[56, 200]. This scooped out material makes an excellent addition to the compost heap. The growing plant is a good food source for fish and birds, as well as providing cover for creatures in the pond[200]. Although it is towards the limit of its climatic range in Britain, it often flowers here if growing in a sheltered sunny position[17]. It over-winters in temperate areas by means of resting buds which sink to the bottom of the pond in the late autumn and rise again in the spring[200]. Special Features: Attracts birds, North American native, Edible, Invasive, Naturalizing, Inconspicuous flowers or blooms.

References Carbon Farming Information and Carbon Sequestration Information

Temperature Converter

Type a value in the Celsius field to convert the value to Fahrenheit:

Celsius Fahrenheit:

The PFAF Bookshop

Plants For A Future have a number of books available in paperback and digital form. Book titles include Edible Plants, Edible Perennials, Edible Trees,Edible Shrubs, Woodland Gardening, and Temperate Food Forest Plants. Our new book is Food Forest Plants For Hotter Conditions (Tropical and Sub-Tropical).

Shop Now

Plant Propagation

Seed - we have no information on this species but, since it spreads so rapidly by division, it really needs no extra help once it is in a pond.

Other Names

If available other names are mentioned here

Native Range

TEMPERATE ASIA: Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Afghanistan, Egypt (Sinai), Iran, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Russian Federation-Ciscaucasia (Ciscaucasia), Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Russian Federation (Dagestan), Japan (Honshu) TROPICAL ASIA: India, Pakistan NORTHERN AMERICA: United States (Illinois, Nebraska, Wyoming, New Mexico, Texas, Arizona, California, Nevada), Mexico (Baja California (Norte), Chihuahua, Coahuila de Zaragoza, Durango, Sonora, Tamaulipas, Zacatecas, Aguascalientes, Ciudad de México, Guanajuato, Hidalgo, Jalisco, México, Michoacán de Ocampo, Oaxaca, Puebla, Querétaro, Tlaxcala, Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave) SOUTHERN AMERICA: United States (Virgin Islands, U.S.), Brazil (Rio Grande do Sul), Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Argentina (Buenos Aires, Catamarca, Chaco, Chubut, Córdoba, Entre Ríos, Formosa, Jujuy, La Pampa, La Rioja, Mendoza, Río Negro, Salta, San Juan, San Luis, Santa Cruz, Santa Fe, Santiago del Estero, Tucumán), Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay EUROPE: Denmark, Finland, United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Russian Federation (European part), Belarus, Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia, Moldova, Russian Federation (Astrakhan, Saratov, Volgogradskaja oblast), Ukraine (incl. Krym), Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Greece (incl. Crete), Croatia, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain (incl. Baleares), France (incl. Corsica), Portugal AFRICA: Spain (Canarias), Portugal (Madeira Islands), Algeria, Egypt, Morocco, Tunisia, Ethiopia, Sudan, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda, South Africa (Cape Province, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal, Transvaal)

Weed Potential

Right plant wrong place. We are currently updating this section. Please note that a plant may be invasive in one area but may not in your area so itâ€™s worth checking.

Conservation Status

IUCN Red List of Threatened Plants Status :

Related Plants

Latin Name	Common Name	Habit	Hardiness	Growth	Soil	Shade	Moisture	Edible	Medicinal	Other
Lemna minor	Duckweed, Common duckweed	Perennial	4-8			N	Wa	1	2	3
Lemna trisulca	Star Duckweed	Perennial	4-8			N	Wa	0	1
Spirodela polyrrhiza	Great Duckweed, Common duckmeat	Perennial	4-8	F	LMH	N	Wa	1	2
Wolffia arrhiza	Least Duckweed, Spotless watermeal	Perennial	6-9		LMH	N	Wa	4	0

Growth: S = slow M = medium F = fast. Soil: L = light (sandy) M = medium H = heavy (clay). pH: A = acid N = neutral B = basic (alkaline). Shade: F = full shade S = semi-shade N = no shade. Moisture: D = dry M = Moist We = wet Wa = water.

Lemna gibba - L.