# Pond water-starwort (*Callitriche stagnalis*)

Pond water-starwort is a lovely green plant that grows in water. It has small, star-shaped leaves that float on the surface, making it look like a little starry garden in the pond.

- **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant)
- **Rarity:** Common
- **Danger:** 1/5 · Very low
- **Habitat:** Wetlands

![Pond water-starwort](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Callitrichestagnalis.jpg&width=800)

Photo: Gordon Leppig & Andrea J. Pickart, Public domain · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Callitrichestagnalis.jpg)

## Appearance

The Pond water-starwort has bright green, often paddle-shaped leaves that can be submerged or float in rosettes on the water surface. Its delicate stems form dense, sprawling mats, appearing lighter green than surrounding aquatic vegetation.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Plantae
- **Phylum:** Tracheophyta
- **Class:** Magnoliopsida
- **Order:** Lamiales
- **Family:** Plantaginaceae
- **Genus:** Callitriche

## Interesting facts

- Even a small stem fragment can grow into a completely new, healthy plant!
- It helps keep water clear by absorbing nutrients that algae would otherwise use!
- It's sometimes called "mudwort" when it grows on muddy shores instead of in deep water!
- Its incredibly tiny flowers don't even have petals, making them hard to spot!

## Special abilities

- **Shape Shifter:** Pond water-starwort can grow two different leaf forms—narrow underwater and wider on the surface—to best adapt to its watery home.
- **Underwater Breeder:** This plant can self-pollinate and produce seeds even when fully submerged, ensuring reproduction in aquatic environments.
- **Oxygen Factory:** Pond water-starwort can photosynthesize efficiently underwater, releasing oxygen that benefits other aquatic creatures.

## Measurements & details

- **Height:** 5-30 cm
- **Spread:** 10-150 cm
- **Flower Size:** 0.05-0.1 cm
- **Bloom Season:** Spring to late Summer
- **Edible:** No
- **Toxicity:** None
- **Lifecycle:** Perennial
- **Pollination Method:** Self

## Ecological connections

- **Shelter:** Freshwater shrimp (*Gammarus pulex*) — Provides hiding spots from predators.
- **Eaten by:** Mallard duck (*Anas platyrhynchos*) — Ducks may graze on the leaves and seeds.
- **Shelter:** Three-spined stickleback (*Gasterosteus aculeatus*) — Small fish hide among its dense stems.
- **Shelter:** Common frog (*Rana temporaria*) — Frogs use its dense mats for cover.

## Traits

- [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle.
- [Ornamental](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/ornamental): Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form.
- [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption.
- [Wetland](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wetland): This habitat trait identifies species found in wetlands, which are areas of land saturated with water, either permanently or seasonally, including marshes, swamps, and bogs.
- [Freshwater](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/freshwater): Freshwater habitats include non-saline aquatic environments such as rivers, lakes, ponds, and wetlands, vital for numerous species.
- [Keystone Species](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/keystone-species): Describes a species whose presence and role have a disproportionately large effect on its environment.
- [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands.

## Collections

- [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants)

## Safety

**Danger:** 1/5 · Very low

Always stay close to an adult when exploring ponds and be careful near water.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Pond water-starwort?

Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How tall is Pond water-starwort?

5-30 cm

### How wide does Pond water-starwort spread?

10-150 cm

### How big are the flowers on Pond water-starwort?

0.05-0.1 cm

### When does Pond water-starwort bloom?

Spring to late Summer

### Is Pond water-starwort edible?

No

### Is Pond water-starwort toxic?

None

### What is Pond water-starwort's lifecycle?

Perennial

## More Plants

- [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*)
- [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*)
- [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*)
- [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*)

---

Source: [Pond water-starwort: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/pond-water-starwort)