Water starwort

Water starwort facts

Scientific name: Callitriche stagnalis

Family: Plantaginaceae

Origin: Native

Type: Perennial

Water starwort and our canals

Water starwort is an excellent oxygenator, thriving in still or slow-moving waters and forming mats of green leaves. It improves canal water quality by absorbing nutrients, keeping the canal clean and healthy for wildlife.

Water starwort is a favourite of newts who choose to lay their eggs in the submerged leaves. It also provides shelter for fish and other species. Ducks and some fish, like koi, eat the leaves.

The stems root in the wet mud found at the bottom of our canals and spreads through pollination or fragmentation – often with the help of water birds or boats.

What does water starwort look like?

Water starwort produces pale green leaves. Under the water, these are linear, while on the surface, they’re starry masses, which give the plant its name. Small white flowers bloom in the summer.

Where to find water starwort

Often found in ponds and ditches, water starwort can also be seen in the sheltered backwaters of our canals – particularly in sluices and lock pounds. You can find the rarer short-leaved water starwort in parts of the Chesterfield Canal.

When to see water starwort

You can see the starry foliage from spring to autumn and the flowers in the summer.

Other plant species to look out for