Yellow Floating-Heart is an invasive aquatic plant native to eastern Asia and the Mediterranean. It has round to heart-shaped leaves up to 12 cm wide with often purple undersides. Its two to five yellow flowers from May to October have fringed petals above the water surface. It reproduces by seed and fragmentation, preferring slow moving water and damp mud in depths from 0 to 4 meters, where it forms dense mats. Originally cultivated in New England in the 1890s, it was first observed in Washington state in the 1930s and is commonly sold for ornamental ponds, though preventing its spread is important as no biological controls are known and mechanical removal can worsen infestations.

1. Yellow Floating-Heart
Nymphoides peltata
Darren R. Thornhill
Fisheries Management Biologist
MO Dept. of Conservation
3500 S Baltimore St.
Kirksville, MO 63501

2. What does it look like?
• Round to heart-shaped leaves (3-12 cm
diameter)
– Undersides are often purple
• Two to five yellow flowers (2-4 cm diameter)
– Fringed petals (5) above water surface
– Flowers May to October

5. Ecology
• Reproduces by seed and fragmentation
• Prefers slow moving water and/or damp mud
• Found in depths ranging from 0 to 4 meters
• Develops dense, monotypic mats

6. How did it get here?
• Native of eastern Asia and the Mediterranean
• Sold and cultivated in New England as a water
garden plant in 1890’s
• First noted in western states in 1930 (Long
Lake, Washington)
• Commonly cultivated and sold for ornamental
use in ponds

7. How do we get rid of it?
• Prevention is paramount!
• Biological control is unknown
• Mechanical control is not recommended
• Chemical control is preferred
– Dichlobenil (effective, but not labeled for aquatic)
– Glophosate (requires multiple treatments)
– Imazapyr (requires multiple treatments)