Water Soldiers

Stratiotes aloides

Native to:
Austria, Baltic States, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czechia-Slovakia, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, North Caucasus, NW. Balkan Pen., Poland, Romania, Russia, Spain, Sweden, Türkiye, Türkiye-in-Europe, Ukraine

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Taxonomy

Division:
Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
Family:
Hydrocharitaceae
Genus:
Stratiotes
Species:
Stratiotes aloides
USDA Symbol:
STAL6

Growth Characteristics

Growth Habit:
Forb/herb
Height:
40 cm
Light Requirements:
Full Sun
Drought Tolerance:
Low
Bloom Months:
jun,jul,aug
Bloom Colors:
white

Garden & Ecology Notes

Wildlife Value:
insects, aquatic invertebrates
Deer Resistant:
Yes

Soil Requirements

Soil Type:
rich, organic, waterlogged soil
pH:
6.0 - 8.0 (neutral to slightly alkaline)
Drainage:
tolerates poor drainage
Moisture:
consistently moist to submerged
Notes:
Commonly found in slow-moving or still water bodies.

Propagation & Germination

Notes:
Primarily propagates vegetatively via offsets and turions; seed germination is rare and poorly documented.

The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI