Fairy Moss
Azollia Caroliniana
(Salviniaceae)
(Fairy Moss, Mosquito fern)
Photo by Charles Macke

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Fairy Moss
is a small free-floating fern approximately 1/4 to 3/8 inches wide. Its leaves overlap giving a quilted look to the surface and hide the stem. A single root protrudes from each stem.

Fairy Moss can vary in color from pale to bright green in shade or semishade, it tends to turn a deep burgundy in sun or cool weather. It is generally found in quiet ponds protected from wind action.

Fairy Moss can be an aggressive invaders in quiet ponds and will rapidly cover the surface of a pond. It is often found mixed in with duck-weeds or watermeal.

If these fern colonies cover the surface of the water, then oxygen depletion and fish kills can occur, but is easily controlled simply by scooping it out. These plants should be controlled before they cover the entire surface of the pond.

Dense colonies of mosquito fern provide habitats for many micro and macro invertebrates. These invertebrates in turn are used as food by fish and other wildlife species (e.g. amphibians, reptiles, ducks, etc.). After aquatic plants die, their decomposition by bacteria and fungi provides food (called “detritus”) for many aquatic invertebrates. It harbors nitrogen-fixing bacteria and is good fertilizer, and helps control algae by shading water surface and competing for nutrients.

Water Fern disappears from the surface in winter, but spores sink to bottom and new plants appear in spring. It may be overwintered in a light or dark location.

Hardy to Zone 7.

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