Water caltrop

Trapa natans

Water caltrop is a unique plant that grows in water. It has interesting, nut-like fruits that look like little horns. These fruits float on the water's surface and can be fun to spot!

Habitat: Wetlands

Appearance

The Water caltrop has distinctive triangular, serrated leaves that form a dense, floating rosette on the water's surface. Its unique, four-horned, woody fruit is dark brown to black and looks somewhat like a bat's head. Small, white flowers emerge from the leaf axils.

KingdomPlantaePhylumTracheophytaClassMagnoliopsidaOrderMyrtalesFamilyLythraceaeGenusTrapa

Water caltrop

Interesting facts

Ancient people in Europe gathered Water caltrop fruits as a food source!

Its bizarre, horned fruit is sometimes called a 'devil pod' or 'bat nut'!

The spiky seeds can stay viable underwater for more than twelve years!

This plant can remove excess nutrients, helping to clean pond water!

Special abilities

Water caltrop has buoyant, air-filled leaf stalks that keep its diamond-shaped leaves afloat, ensuring they capture maximum sunlight.

Water caltrop produces incredibly tough, spiky fruits that sink to the bottom, protecting its seeds until they can sprout next season.

Water caltrop can extend long, submerged stems to anchor itself in water depths up to five meters, helping it survive varying conditions.

Measurements & details

Height: 30-500 cm
Spread: 15-30 cm
Flower Size: 0.8-1 cm
Bloom Season: Summer
Edible: Yes
Toxicity: None
Lifecycle: Annual
Pollination Method: Self

Ecological connections

eaten by

Mallard duck

Anas platyrhynchos

Ducks eat the floating seeds and leaves.

eaten by

Common carp

Cyprinus carpio

Fish graze on submerged stems and associated organisms.

shelters

Yellow Perch

Perca flavescens

Young fish find protection within its dense leaf mats.

Traits

Ornamental

Ornamental plants are cultivated primarily for their aesthetic appeal, enhancing landscapes and gardens with their attractive foliage, flowers, or form.

Fruit Bearing

Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds.

Nut Bearing

Nut bearing plants produce hard-shelled fruits, commonly known as nuts, which contain a single seed and are a valuable food source.

Edible

Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption.

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.