Plant Australian water clover in a loam pot in spring, with water over the rim. Divide a crowded clump at the same time if you want more plants.
Plant it in a loam pot, with water over the rim
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| When | Spring, once the pond is warming | Do not plant into a frozen shelf |
| Pot | A one-gallon aquatic pot you can lift | Do not plant it loose in the pond floor if you need to contain the run |
| Mix | Heavy loam or aquatic soil, topped with washed gravel | Do not use lightweight potting mix, which floats and clouds the water |
| Depth | A few inches of water over the rim to start; mature plants can sit deeper so the leaflets still reach the surface | Do not bury the growing tip |
Australian water clover goes in as a rhizome, not as a dry-bed transplant. Fill the pot about three-quarters full with heavy loam or aquatic soil, set the rhizome so the growing tip sits at the soil line, and cover it lightly with the same mix. [1] Use a one-gallon aquatic pot you can lift, so the clump stays where you can divide it later. [2] Finish with a thin layer of washed gravel so the soil stays put when you lower the pot. Lightweight potting mix floats and fouls the water, so skip it. [3] Set the pot on a shelf so a few inches of water sit over the rim. Mature plants can sit in deeper water, about two feet, as long as the leaflets still reach the surface. [4] The sun and never-dry water plan for the season is on How to Grow Australian Water Clover.
- In spring, fill a one-gallon aquatic pot about three-quarters full with heavy loam or aquatic soil.
- Set the rhizome so the growing tip sits at the soil line. Do not bury it.
- Top the pot with washed gravel so the soil does not wash out.
- Lower it onto a shelf so a few inches of water sit over the rim. Keep the mix wet from that day on.
How deep do I set the pot?
Start with a few inches of water over the rim. Mature plants can sit deeper, as long as the leaflets still reach the surface.
Do I use potting mix?
No. Use heavy loam or aquatic soil. Lightweight potting mix floats and clouds the water.
Divide a crowded clump in spring
When the pot is packed with rhizomes, lift it in spring and cut the clump into pieces. Each piece needs a growing tip and some roots. Replant the same day in fresh loam, and return the pots to water over the rim. Do not wait on spores. Sporocarps form when mud dries, and that is not the home start.
- Lift the pot in spring, once the pond is warming.
- Cut the rhizome into pieces that each have a growing tip and roots.
- Replant each piece the same day in fresh loam, with the growing tip at the soil line.
- Return the pots to a few inches of water over the rim.
Can I divide an established clump?
Yes. Lift the pot in spring, cut pieces that each have a growing tip and roots, and replant them the same day.
If the pot is already crowded, divide it the same day you plant so each piece has room to run.
FAQ
Can I start Australian water clover from spores?
Not as a home start. The plant can make hard spore cases when mud dries, but gardeners divide rhizomes in spring and replant them the same day.
Related guides
Recommended plants
References
- [1] Lily Blooms -
https://www.lilyblooms.com/planting-and-care-instructions-for-shallow-water-and-bog-plants/ - [2] NC State Extension Gardener -
https://plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/marsilea-mutica-variegata/ - [3] MyGardenLife -
https://mygardenlife.com/plant-library/european-water-clover-pepperwort-marsilea-quadrifolia - [4] Lily Blooms -
https://www.lilyblooms.com/variegated-four-leaf-water-clover-marsilea-mutica-lily-like-aquatic/
This note is part of Marsilea Guides.
More planting notes by plant are gathered in Planting Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors