Forum home› Wildlife gardening
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Floating Soldiers - Stratioles Aloides

Guernsey Donkey2Guernsey Donkey2 Posts: 6,713
in Wildlife gardening
I have a couple of new Floating Soldiers - Stratioles Aloides.  Both have produced small white flowers and the leaves - if you can call them leaves are now turning from green to dark almost black.  Is this normal?  They are in our large pond with sunshine for most of the day.

Posts

  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    I think that’s what they do, after flowering they’ll sink to the bottom and you won’t see them again until next Spring. 
    Mine got less and less, now I don’t have any at all. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • Hampshire_HogHampshire_Hog Posts: 1,089
    edited July 2019
    When we had a pond we were told to collect them after flowering put them in a bucket of water and keep them in a frost free shed as they don't like the cold and that worked, yet if you read all the info it says they are hardy to -15
    And yes they do change colour and sink as Lyn said.

    "You don't stop gardening because you get old, you get old because you stop gardening." - The Hampshire Hog
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    I think it was too cold here for them, the pond gets iced in the winter. Never though5 about taking them out, that’s a very good idea. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • Guernsey Donkey2Guernsey Donkey2 Posts: 6,713
    Thank you Lyn & HH - I now know that the change of colour is normal - it is a pity though as I only got the plants about a month ago.  Perhaps we will be lucky here - the temperature NEVER (tempting fate?) drops to -15 here! I hope we will see them again next Spring.  The flowers were so pretty and delicate looking.
  • YviestevieYviestevie Posts: 7,066
    I've had them in my pond for 3 years now.  The breed like wildfire.  They do change colour and sink to the bottom in the winter and then rise again when the weather warms up.  Each year I remove some of the big ones and leave the smaller ones.
    Hi from Kingswinford in the West Midlands
  • Guernsey Donkey2Guernsey Donkey2 Posts: 6,713
    Thank you @Yviestevie, we have just two at the moment, so I am hoping they will breed next Spring as yours have done - we are desperate for more covering oxygenating plants.
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    At the moment my pond’s covered with water forget me nots, that multiples rapidly. The water lily leaves are making a good cover, one in flower so far.
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

Sign In or Register to comment.