Pepper Grass (Pilularia globulifera)

Pepper Grass (Pilularia globulifera)

A rare UK native aquatic fern with fine grass like fronds for shallow ponds and damp margins

Pepper Grass (Pilularia globulifera), also known as Pillwort, is a fascinating UK native aquatic fern with fine grass like fronds. Despite its common name, it is not a true grass. It forms a low, delicate green mat that is ideal for shallow pond shelves, damp margins and wildlife friendly planting.

This is one of the more unusual native pond plants available. Its slender fronds rise from creeping rhizomes and stay very low, making it useful at the front of pond shelves or around damp edges where taller plants would look too heavy. It adds fine texture without dominating the planting scheme.

Pepper Grass is particularly valuable in wildlife ponds because it creates cover close to the waterline. This shallow area supports amphibians, emerging insects and small pond creatures, helping to create a more natural and varied habitat.

As an aquatic fern, Pepper Grass does not flower like a typical marginal plant. Instead, it produces small rounded spore bearing structures, which are part of the reason it is also known as Pillwort. It is grown mainly for its unusual foliage, native value and low growing habit.

For best results, plant Pepper Grass in a bright position with consistently wet soil or shallow water. It grows slowly, which makes it easier to manage than many vigorous pond plants. It can be paired with other native marginals, oxygenators and waterlilies to create a diverse planting scheme.

---

Potted Oxygenators and Bunched Oxygenators

Potted oxygenators are supplied rooted in aquatic soil and are usually placed on pond shelves or in shallow water. They often provide useful cover near the water surface, making them valuable for amphibians, froglets and aquatic insects.

Bunched oxygenators are usually weighted and placed into deeper areas of the pond, where they can sink towards the pond floor and root into the substrate.

Pepper Grass is best used as a shallow water potted oxygenating and habitat plant rather than a deep submerged oxygenator. It pairs well with deeper oxygenating bunches, marginals and waterlilies to create planting at several different depths.

---

Key Benefits

• UK native aquatic fern
• Also known as Pillwort
• Fine grass like fronds with a delicate appearance
• Ideal for shallow pond shelves and damp margins
• Provides low cover for amphibians and insects
• Slow growing and easy to manage
• Excellent for wildlife friendly planting
• Fully hardy in UK conditions

---

Reasons to Buy

• A rare and unusual native pond plant
• Adds fine texture without becoming tall
• Useful for small ponds, wildlife ponds and damp edges
• Good choice for naturalistic native planting schemes
• Slow growth makes it manageable in garden ponds

---

Care Instructions

• Place the aquatic basket on a shallow shelf or damp pond margin with the top of the basket between 0cm and 30cm below the water surface.
• Start at 0cm to 10cm deep while the plant establishes, then move slightly deeper if required.
• Grow in full sun or partial shade and avoid shading it with taller plants.
• Remove any dead or tired growth in autumn or early spring if required.

---

Flowering Period

This aquatic fern does not produce true flowers. It forms small rounded spore bearing structures during summer.

---

Size and Growing Conditions

---

Dispatching Your Pond Plants

Your Pepper Grass will be carefully packed to protect the foliage and roots during transit.

Orders received by 11am Monday to Wednesday are normally dispatched on the following working day using a next working day courier service. During busy periods, dispatch may occasionally take an extra day.

To avoid plants being held in depots over a weekend, we do not usually dispatch on Fridays. Highlands and Islands orders using a 2 day service are not normally dispatched on Thursdays.

Available basket sizes:

• 1 Litre Basket, usually 11 × 11 × 11cm square; some varieties may be supplied in a 14cm diameter × 10cm round basket
• Pack of 3 × 1 Litre Baskets, each usually 11 × 11 × 11cm square
• Pack of 3 × 9cm Pots
• 2 Litre Basket, usually 17cm diameter × 13cm round or 19 × 19 × 9cm square, depending on the plant

Planting depth is measured from the top of the aquatic basket to the water surface.

Plants supplied in 9cm pots will require potting into an aquatic basket before being placed in the pond.

Finofil baskets are manufactured in the UK from 100% recycled plastic and are fully recyclable. Their fine dual mesh construction helps retain aquatic soil while allowing water and nutrients to reach the roots. Basket shape may vary slightly depending on the plant and supplier availability.

Explore more oxygenating pond plants or browse our complete pond plants range.