Azolla

Family Azollaceae. Tiny ferns from tropical waters of the Americas, floating on the surface of the water.

Overall the plants resemble lace moss: the branched stems are densely, like scales, covered with tiny leaves, each with two lobes - a lower submerged one and an upper floating one, oval in shape.

Location: they can live in both well-lit and shaded water bodies.

Care for Azolla: the plant does not tolerate low temperatures. Therefore in winter it is best to place it in a glass jar with water and soil and bring it indoors, and in April plant it back into the pond. From time to time some of the plants are removed so they do not cover the entire surface.

Propagation of Azolla: by division in summer. They spread extremely quickly.

Usage: for decorating the surfaces of medium and small ponds, and in winter gardens. In tropical Asia Azolla has long been used as a fertilizer to increase soil fertility in rice fields; in its ability to accumulate nitrogen it is comparable to leguminous crops.