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Little Floatingheart

Nymphoides cordata

Family: Menyanthaceae Native

Little floatingheart is a freshwater aquatic plant with delicate white flowers in the Menyanthaceae (buckbean) family. It is found in quiet flowing rivers, streams, and lakes from Canada to FL and primarily in the Sandhills of NC. The heart-shaped leaves are green to mottled with red and the undersides are reddish-purple in color. The white flowers appear in summer and are held above the foliage. The plant has clusters of thick roots that float in the water in addition to underground rhizomes. Use this plant in freshwater ponds or streams. It needs to be submerged in water in full to partial sun conditions. It can also be grown in a pot and submerged in a large tub. Little floatingheart is a much better choice than the non-native invasive yellow flowering plant, N. peltata . Insects, Diseases, and Other Plant Problems: No significant problems. The plant is endangered or imperiled in some areas of the USA and Canada.

Source: NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox ↗ NC State Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, 58 attributes.

Companions & Conflicts

Curated pairwise relationships between this plant and others in the library — who feeds whom, who competes, who confuses the pests. Green reads as a good pairing, red as one to avoid.

No curated interactions recorded for this species yet.

Also noted by NC State

Related species the NC State Plant Toolbox flags for this plant — look-alikes to tell apart, and plants that play a similar role in a planting. Ones we carry in the library are linked.

Often confused with Nymphoides peltata

Full plant profile

Growing Conditions
Plant type
Native Plant; Water Plant
Life cycle
Perennial
USDA zones
5a, 5b, 6a, 6b, 7a, 7b, 8a, 8b, 9a, 9b, 10a, 10b
Light
Full sun (6 or more hours of direct sunlight a day) | Partial Shade (Direct sunlight only part of the day, 2-6 hours)
Soil texture
Clay; Loam (Silt); Sand
Soil drainage
Frequent Standing Water | Moist | Occasionally Wet
NC region
Coastal; Mountains; Piedmont
Growth rate
Medium
Maintenance
Low
Form & Appearance
Habit / form
Horizontal
Texture
Medium
Leaf color
Green; Red/Burgundy
Leaf type
Simple
Leaf arrangement
Alternate
Leaf shape
Cordate; Ovate
Leaf margin
Entire
Leaf feel
Smooth
Leaf size
1-3 inches long, 1-3 inches wide
Hairs present
No
Leaf detail
Leaves are cordate-ovate, 1 1/4 – 2 3/4 inches long, often variegated with reddish-purple above, underside smooth and reddish
Flower color
Cream/Tan; White
Flower form
Solitary
Flower shape
Cup
Flower size
< 1 inch
Flower detail
Flowers are white to cream with a yellow center and 5 petals. They are around 1/2 inch wide and bloom from April to August.
Bloom time
Summer
Fruit type
Capsule
Fruit size
< 1 inch long, < 1 inch wide
Fruit detail
The capsule splits open to release seeds from May to September.
Stem color
Green
Stem detail
Stems are often much elongated, green, and very slender. Erect green flower stems
Wildlife & Ecology
Native status
Native
Origin
Eastern U.S.A. and Canada
Distribution
AL , CT , DE , FL , GA , LA , MA , MD , ME , MS , NC , NH , NJ , NY , PA , RI , SC , VT. Canada: NB , NL , NS , PE
Wildlife value
Submerged portions of all aquatic plants provide habitats for many micro and macro invertebrates which in turn provide food fo other aquatic wildlife
Attracts
Pollinators
Food & Medicine
Harvest time
Summer
Fruit type
Capsule

Uses (ethnobotany)

Used by Native Americans medicinally

Landscape Use
Landscape location
Pond; Riparian
Landscape theme
Native Garden; Water Garden
Design feature
Small groups
Garden tags
#native water plant #white flowers #NC native #water garden #Coastal OBL #food source herbage #food source hard mast fruit #mammals #food source summer #Piedmont Mountains OBL #bird friendly #Audubon #freshwater #riparian #full sun #pond
Problems & Resistance
Resistant to
Wet Soil
Particularly resistant to
Heat and drought tolerant.
Propagation
Root Cutting; Stem Cutting

Planted at Hunnicutt

Nobody’s planted this one yet.