Parrot Feather Watermilfoil

Parrot's feather, Myriophyllum aquaticum, has long been grown in garden ponds as well as aquariums, sometimes under the synonym Myriophyllum brasiliense. It comes from the south of South America and has been introduced to tropical and warm-temperate regions around the world. There it forms large stands of long shoots trailing across the water, with the tips rising above the surface and carrying blue-green, finely divided leaves that shed water.

The figures here are for the tall standard form, the one most often in trade. Its emersed shoots only produce female flowers, and its submersed leaves take on a light orange-brown hue under strong light. Other forms go by their own names: a narrower, darker green variety labelled 'Myriophyllum elatinoides' or M. aquaticum 'Green', a small form with dark red stems offered for ponds, and 'Santa Catarina', a local form from southern Brazil.

Submersed, it is an easy, very fast-growing stem plant for the background or midground, and it can also fill a Dutch-style street or trail along the surface. The optimum is 15 to 25 °C and pH 5 to 7.5, with medium to high light. Propagate it from cuttings. It is winter hardy in Germany and grows well in ponds, so trimmings should stay out of open water.