Common duckweed (Lemna perpusilla)
Care, watering, light and tips for Common duckweed on Floravia.
Quick facts
- Family: Araceae
- Difficulty: Easy to care for
- Watering: every 7 days
- Light: Indirect light
- Temperature: 15–30 °C
About Common duckweed
Lemna perpusilla, commonly known as Tiny Duckweed, is a minute floating aquatic plant belonging to the Araceae family, forming a dense green mat on the water's surface. Its fronds are oval or elliptical, bright green, and only a few millimeters in size. It's ideal for ponds, aquariums, or slow-moving water bodies, where it helps control algae and provides shelter for small aquatic organisms.
Native range
North and South America
Care tips
This plant prefers bright to partial light, although too much shade can slow its growth. It requires no substrate as it floats freely on the water column, and watering is limited to maintaining the water level. A common mistake is not controlling its rapid spread, as it can quickly cover the entire surface, limiting gas exchange and light for other plants; regular removal of excess is necessary.
How to save a dying Common duckweed
- Warning signs
- Discoloration, rot, disintegration of fronds.
- First aid
- Remove excess organic matter, ensure good light and nutrients.
- What kills it
- Lack of essential nutrients, waste accumulation, excessive shade.
- Can it be saved?
- Yes, if green fronds or healthy roots remain, it can recover quickly.