Lebanese Cress (Aethionema Cordifolium) with floating ring

Lebanese Cress, also known as Lebanese Water Cress, is a fast-growing perennial pond plant that combines attractive foliage with useful surface cover. It can be grown in shallow water between approximately 5–15cm deep and is particularly effective when planted in a floating pond ring, where it can spread across the surface of the water.

With a spreading growth habit reaching approximately 40cm wide and 20cm high, Lebanese Cress is an excellent choice for adding greenery to your pond while providing cover for pond life. Unlike oxygenating pond plants, its main benefits come from its surface growth, nutrient uptake and habitat value.

Why you'll love Lebanese Cress

• Fast-growing perennial pond plant
• Also known as Lebanese Water Cress
• Suitable for full sun to part shade
• Produces flowers
• Can grow in shallow water approximately 5–15cm deep
• Creates excellent surface cover when grown in a floating pond ring
• Can spread to approximately 40cm wide
• Grows to approximately 20cm high
• Edible foliage
• Useful for creating a lush, natural-looking water garden
• Helps absorb nutrients as it grows

Where to grow Lebanese Cress

Lebanese Cress grows well in full sun through to part shade and can tolerate shallow water approximately 5–15cm deep.

For an attractive spreading display, grow it in one of our floating pond rings. The plant can spread across the water surface, creating natural cover while adding texture and greenery to your pond.

It can also be used around shallow pond margins where the soil remains consistently moist.

Lebanese Cress as a surface cover plant

One of the standout features of Lebanese Cress is its ability to create surface cover when grown in a floating pond ring.

A well-planted water garden benefits from having plants at different levels — below the water, at the surface and around the pond margins. Lebanese Cress is particularly useful for filling the surface layer and providing cover and shelter for pond life.

Its rapid growth also means it can make a noticeable difference to the amount of plant cover in your water garden during the growing season. Regular trimming can be used to keep growth at the desired size.

Lebanese Cress and pond nutrients

Like other fast-growing aquatic plants, Lebanese Cress uses nutrients as it grows. Including vigorous plants in a pond can form part of a broader approach to managing nutrients and maintaining a healthy aquatic environment.

For the best results, combine Lebanese Cress with a variety of oxygenating, flowering, floating and marginal pond plants to create a diverse pond ecosystem.

An edible pond plant

Lebanese Cress is an unusual addition to the water garden because it is an edible pond plant. Its fresh leaves can be used in small amounts as a garnish or added to salads for a fresh, distinctive flavour.

Always ensure that plants intended for consumption are grown and fertilised appropriately for that purpose.

Lebanese Cress Plant Information

Plant type: Perennial aquatic pond plant
Common names: Lebanese Cress, Lebanese Water Cress
Botanical name: Aethionema [verify species spelling before publishing]
Origin: Mediterranean
Position: Full sun to part shade
Flowers: Yes
Water depth: Approximately 5–15cm
Height: Approximately 20cm
Width: Up to approximately 40cm
Foliage: Grows above the water
Oxygenating: No
Edible: Yes
Growth habit: Fast-growing and spreading
Best for: Surface cover, floating rings, shallow water, nutrient uptake and edible water gardens

Grow Lebanese Cress in a floating pond ring

Our floating pond rings make it easy to grow Lebanese Cress directly on the surface of your pond.

Place the plant into the ring and position it on the water. As it establishes, the foliage can spread outwards to create an attractive green surface cover.

Looking for more pond plants? Explore our range of Pond Plants Online and discover flowering, floating, oxygenating, marginal and edible plants for your water garden.