Water Shamrock (Marsilea quadrifolia)

Water Shamrock (Marsilea quadrifolia)

An unusual aquatic fern with four leaf clover foliage for shallow ponds, shelves and wildlife planting

Water Shamrock (Marsilea quadrifolia) is an unusual aquatic fern with attractive four parted leaves that resemble small clover. It is a distinctive choice for shallow shelves, still water and wildlife friendly pond planting.

Although it is often grouped with oxygenating pond plants, Water Shamrock is best treated as a rooted aquatic fern and shallow water habitat plant. It grows from creeping rhizomes and can produce floating or emergent leaves depending on water depth.

The low foliage provides cover around the waterline and adds a very different texture to fine leaved oxygenators and taller marginal plants. It is especially useful in naturalistic planting schemes where a softer, more unusual plant is wanted.

Water Shamrock does not flower like a typical marginal plant. Instead, as a fern ally, it produces spore bearing structures rather than showy flowers. It is grown mainly for its foliage, shallow water cover and unusual character.

For best results, place it in a bright position with shallow water over the basket or consistently wet soil. It may die back or reduce growth in colder months before returning when conditions improve.

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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.

Water Shamrock 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.

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Key Benefits

• Unusual aquatic fern for ponds
• Attractive four leaf clover style foliage
• Ideal for shallow shelves and damp margins
• Provides low cover for pond wildlife
• Adds decorative foliage without height
• Good for naturalistic planting schemes
• Pairs well with oxygenators and waterlilies
• Easy to manage in aquatic baskets

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Reasons to Buy

• A distinctive plant for unusual pond planting
• Useful where flowers are not the main priority
• Adds soft floating or emergent foliage
• Good for wildlife friendly shallow water areas
• Works well in small ponds and natural ponds

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Care Instructions

• Place the aquatic basket on a shallow shelf with the top of the basket around 0cm to 30cm below the water surface.
• Grow in full sun or partial shade. Good light will encourage better foliage growth.
• Do not allow the basket to dry out. Keep the plant consistently wet or shallowly submerged.
• Remove tired growth in autumn or early spring if required. Fresh growth usually returns in the growing season.

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Flowering Period

Water Shamrock is an aquatic fern and does not produce true flowers. It forms spore bearing structures rather than showy blooms.

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Size and Growing Conditions

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Dispatching Your Pond Plants

Your Water Shamrock 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.