The rough horn leaf - often incorrectly called hornwort - is one of the most effective water purification plants and is therefore extremely interesting for garden pond owners. Let's pay some attention to the swimming beneficial insect.
Horn leaf clarifies water better than any filter
The horn leaf is not a hornwort
When talking about horn-something in relation to clarifying pond planting, the vernacular always slips easily into hornwort. There is also hornwort and its species form an entire plant genus with the botanical name Cerastium. However, these are by no means aquatic plants - but this is definitely the case with the horn leaf, botanically Ceratophyllum.
Hornleaf species are very similar in habit to stonewort algae. Their long, fir branch-like fronds look very similar to those of stoneworts and also grow submersed, i.e. completely below the water surface. Being underwater plants with no real roots, they also have the ability to absorb nutrients directly from the water. This makes them very suitable as clarifying plants for the middle water layers of a garden pond.
The most important characteristics of the horn blade in brief:
- Submerged aquatic plant
- Appearance similar to stoneworts
- Fir branch-like fronds
- Absorb nutrients directly from the water - strong water-clarifying effect
The Rough Hornblatt
A horn leaf species that is particularly relevant for garden pond culture is the rough horn leaf. Its greyish to yellow-green leaves are actually quite rough to the touch and on the one hand are very flexible in water, but are also sensitive to mechanical contact. The sometimes reddish accentuated stems with the forked leaves can grow up to a meter long. The Rough Hornblatt also produces inconspicuous flowers and fruits completely under water.
Clever wintering tactics
Interesting and practical for cultivation in the garden pond: the rough horn leaf also gets along well in shady areas and is perennial. The upper parts of the plant die off in winter. However, the rough hornbill survives the cold season with overwintering organs, so-called turions, which hibernate on the bottom of the water and rise again in spring.
In order not to get any excess nutrients from the sinking, dead plant parts, you can also remove the rough horn leaf yourself in autumn and cut off the shoot tips with the overwintering buds and throw them back into the pond. The rest is composted.
Best cleaning qualities
Like other types of horn leaf, the rough horn leaf has extremely good water purification properties. It absorbs a lot of nutrients from the pond water and can help prevent algae blooms. This is not the only reason why it is particularly suitable for a fish pond that is particularly burdened with excess nutrients from fish feed and faeces. Its fine, densely branched stems also offer the animals good hiding places.
Better not to combine with other underwater plants
In general, it is not recommended to cultivate several underwater plants at once in the shallow water zone of a garden pond. They can quickly become confused and get tangled up in one another. This happens particularly easily with the long, forked, branched gullies of the Rauer Hornblatt. If you decide to do this, then it is better to have it in its purest form.