Frogbit

Frogbit is a floating aquatic plant with rounded or kidney-shaped leaves and three-petalled white flowers with a yellow spot on each petal. It resembles a small water lily. The leaves grow in rosettes and float on the water surface, with the roots hanging down into the water.

Found in still or slow moving freshwater habitats such as ponds, lakes and canals, Frogbit provides shelter for dragonfly larvae, small fish and tadpoles.

It can be seen flowering during July and August.

Frogbit survives the winter by producing specialised buds, called turions. The buds rest on the bottom of their freshwater habitat, then in spring they are able to rise to the surface. Frogbit is fast growing and spreads rapidly by stolons and can become quite prolific in areas where it becomes established.

Widespread, but an occasional plant in England and Wales.