Hi
Someone on our local freecycle site is offering some surplus water soldier plants. I was wondering what they are like as pond plants, are they good for wildlife? Are they very invasive?
Many thanks
SP x
They are fine sweat-pea go ahead and get them :)
Not 100% sure - but be careful that they don't multiply like mad and make an army!
Here I found this on t'internet!
Water Soldiers
Stratoides aloides
This plant removes free lime from the water. Especially good in hard water districts.
Rather like an Aloe or Agave with its saw tooth edged leaves. They start quite small in Spring growing up to dinner plate size!
Not harmful to fish despite its 'fearsome appearance'.
Winter hardy.
Supplied as a bare root plant.
If I remember correctly (at my age remembering anything is an achievement!) they are not anything very special and they multiply dramatically and completely cover the pond and takeover!
Good luck with it if you do get it. Piccies would be good!
Old Bird
Excellent for a widlife pond as they are a British native. They won't be invasive as they produce off-sets which you can either pull off and give away or keep them and have even more plants. In the winter they will sink to the bottom. They can get upto 18" across though.