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Hydrolea ovata is a sweet little native that will do well as a marginal or submerged plant addition to your pond.
Hydrolea ovata is native to the United States. This endangered [1] plant is an aquatic, perennial herb
that grows wild along ponds, streams and rivers. It can also be found in low-lying, consistently wet wooded areas, such as swamps. H. ovata growingat the water's edge is frequented by minnows that use the plant for cover and also seem to enjoy darting between the plants.
Photo courtesy of Dave's Garden member, dirtyhands2
H. ovata forms a rhizome and will grow approximately 2 feet tall. At first glance, this plant appears to have soft fuzzy hairs on its stems and leaves; however, these may become spiny over time and can prick your skin if mishandled. Lovely clusters of small, deep blue flowers appear from midsummer through early fall to light up the bottomlands where it grows.
Some common names for H. ovata are blue waterleaf and false fiddle leaf. It is also known as pigweed in Arkansas where it can be found growing in the bottomlands of the White River National Wildlife Refuge.
At the USDA Plants website, H. ovata is listed as having been found growing in the following regions.
RegionOne: Kentucky *endangered
Region Two: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee*special concern
Region Three: Missouri
Region Four: Not found
Region Five: Not found
Region Six: Oklahoma and Texas
Region Eight: Not found
Region Nine: Not found
Region 0: Not found
Region A: Not found
Region C: Not found
Region H: Not found
"U.S. Department of Agriculture"
*Please click on links to the USDA website for more information concerning regions.
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Photo courtesy of Dave's Garden member, Jeff_Beck
The Wetland Indicator Status chart found on the USDA plants database site designates H. ovata as OBL or; "Occurs almost always (estimated probability 99%) under natural conditions in wetlands." This is true of all the states except Kentucky where the wetland indicator status is, NI or "Insufficient information was available to determine an indicator status."
Clarence A. Rechenthin @ USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database
I have not grown this plant in my own garden but I did admire it while living in Texas and Arkansas (where I was told by Arkansas natives that it was called pigweed) long before I knew the name of it. If you would like to grow H. ovata in your own garden, plant in full sun to dappled shade in a wet location. They are best planted in groups because the spread of the plant averages approximately 3 to 6 inches, if that. They are tall (up to 2 feet) and narrow. If you do not have a pond, creek or swamp in your back yard, create a bog garden for this and other plants that like wet feet. Mix in some yellow and white blooming plants for contrast. H. ovata will really stand out if planted in front of Canna indica. The large leaves of the Canna lily will create a great backdrop for the blooms of H. ovata.
When in bloom, throngs of butterflies, bees and birds swarm around H. ovata. It is deer-resistant, making it a good choice for rural gardens. Smaller critters such as squirrels, groundhogs, raccoons and opossums tend to give it a wide berth as well.
It should be noted that H. ovata can be invasive under the right conditions. If grown in a contained area such as a bog garden where it can be controlled, it is well worth a try, especially for those native plant lovers around the U.S.
Photo courtesy of Dave's Garden member,Jeff_Beck
Happy Gardening~
LEFT: USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / USDA NRCS. Wetland flora: Field office illustrated guide to plant species. USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service
Hydrolea ovata
RIGHT: USDA-NRCS PLANTS Database / Britton, N.L., and A. Brown.1913. An illustrated flora of the northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions. Vol. 3: 72
I'm a native Floridian...feet planted in the shifting sands of northwest FL. but my heart strings are tightly knotted to the hills of Tennessee.
I live my poodle, Minnie Pearl, Zsa Zsa the cat who runs the whole show and a new addition, Kitty Belle.
I'm a writer, gardener, quilter, cross stitcher, soapmaker and nature lover. Mother to 3 wonderful daughters & Nana to 6 perfect grandchildren.
I also write for Suite101 and was promoted to Feature Writer in the vegetable gardens section in 2008.
Posted by phicks (from Lakeland, FL) on November 20, 2008 at 11:28 AM:
Good Article And Pictures Do You Have This Plant ? Paul
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Posted by libellule (from Fountain, FL) on November 20, 2008 at 5:27 PM:
Hey Paul,
No, I don't have this plant any more. I had some a while back (before I knew what it was) but not here at this place.
I have been looking for it when I go out in the woods though. My search will have to wait until spring because we had a hard freeze two nights ago and most everything that isn't under the tree branches is frozen now. :-)
Jackie
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Posted by allwild818 (from East, TX) on November 24, 2008 at 10:01 AM:
I found this flower growing at my new property, near the pond this summer. For me it was nice to find such a pretty flower growing among the hemp and cattails, and other weedy looking things I have yet to ID. I'm hoping it will be back next year.
Thank you for all the info about Hydrolea ovata-I'll be adding it to my plant diary.
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Posted by libellule (from Fountain, FL) on November 24, 2008 at 2:24 PM:
Happy to know you found it useful, allwild818. I hope it comes back for you too. :-)
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Subject: I don't know about that one
Posted by CoreHHI (from Bluffton, SC) on November 20, 2008 at 3:02 AM:
I live on a lagoon that runs into a swamp in very SE SC and I would not plant that. I'm afraid it would run wild. Cannas are loved by snakes when planted in a group and these guys on top of that, would just make that worse. I'm not a big friend of the cotton mouth.
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Posted by libellule (from Fountain, FL) on November 20, 2008 at 5:31 AM:
CoreHHI,
You are quite right, Hydrolea might very well be invasive at your place. That is why I made certain to mention that it may be invasive in some areas. I wouldn't want anyone to be over run with it. :-)
J
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Posted by leaflady (from Hughesville, MO) on November 20, 2008 at 10:15 AM:
That sounds like something my DIL Holly and I would maybe like.
Here in midcentral MO Pigweed is an entirely different plant. Here it is a landlock perennial that we try very hard to irradicate but never quite make it. It can be identified by its red roots. Another plant that looks much like it but can best be identified by its odor is American Wormwood or Espisote. We have an abundance of both here.
Sorry to have hijacked your thread but the name pigweed was the trigger. lol.
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Posted by libellule (from Fountain, FL) on November 20, 2008 at 5:21 PM:
Hey Leaflady,
Isn't it something how different plants are called by the same common name? We also have a pigweed here that is nothing at all like this plant.
J
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Posted by paulineristeau (from Warren, MI) on November 24, 2008 at 4:26 AM:
We also have a completely different plant we call pigweed in Michigan but it is actually edible. In fact can never get rid of pigweed here lol.
Thanks for the article.
Pauline
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Posted by libellule (from Fountain, FL) on November 24, 2008 at 6:35 AM:
Thanks for stopping in, Pauline :-)
I'm interested in all the different plants with same common names. I'd like to know the history on how they got their names. I bet it would be interesting reading.
