Shield Pennywort (Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides) with floating ring

Shield Pennywort (Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides) is a versatile Australian pond plant that forms a dense, creeping mat of distinctive little umbrella-shaped leaves. Its shiny green foliage has a slightly ruffled edge, creating an attractive ground cover around the pond or across shallow areas of the water.

This perennial aquatic plant can grow submerged to approximately 10cm deep or spread through the damp and boggy margins of your pond. Its creeping growth habit makes it particularly useful for softening pond edges and creating natural habitat for frogs, fish and fry.

Shield Pennywort is relatively slow growing, so providing it with suitable aquatic fertiliser can help encourage healthy, vigorous growth.

Why you'll love Shield Pennywort

• Australian native pond plant
• Distinctive umbrella-shaped green leaves
• Forms attractive, dense creeping ground cover
• Can grow submerged or in damp, boggy soil
• Suitable for full sun to part shade
• Can be grown in water up to approximately 10cm deep
• Excellent cover for frogs, fish and fry
• Ideal for pond edges and bog gardens
• Produces small white flowers
• Continues spreading through runners
• Low-growing, reaching approximately 10cm high
• Perennial plant
• Suitable for both small and large water gardens

Where to grow Shield Pennywort

Shield Pennywort is particularly useful around the edge of the pond, where it can grow through damp or boggy soil and create a natural green carpet.

It can also be grown submerged to approximately 10cm deep, where its creeping foliage provides cover for frogs, fish and young fish (fry).

Shield Pennywort grows well in part shade, but can also tolerate full sun. Keeping the growing conditions consistently moist will help it establish and spread.

Shield Pennywort as a pond ground cover

One of the most appealing features of Shield Pennywort is its creeping growth habit. Rather than growing into a large upright plant, it sends out runners that gradually spread across the growing area.

Given suitable conditions, it can continue spreading to create dense ground cover around the pond. This makes it especially useful for softening hard pond edges and creating a more natural transition between the water and surrounding garden.

Shield Pennywort for frogs and fish

When grown submerged, Shield Pennywort can create a low layer of vegetation that provides cover and shelter for frogs, fish and fry.

For a wildlife-friendly water garden, combine it with taller marginal plants and floating plants to create several layers of habitat.

Feeding Shield Pennywort

Shield Pennywort can be relatively slow growing, particularly while it is establishing. Regular feeding with a suitable aquatic fertiliser can encourage healthy growth.

We recommend Pond Plantz Time Release Fertilizer. Follow the product directions when applying fertiliser to your pond plants.

Shield Pennywort Plant Information

Plant type: Perennial aquatic pond plant
Botanical name: Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides
Origin: Australia
Position: Full sun to part shade
Flowers: Small white flowers
Water depth: Up to approximately 10cm
Height: Approximately 10cm
Width: Spreading/continually expanding through runners
Foliage: Grows above the water line
Growth habit: Creeping ground cover
Oxygenating: No
Edible: No
Best for: Pond margins, boggy areas, shallow water, frog habitat and fish and fry cover

Learn more about Shield Pennywort

Want to know more about growing this unusual pond plant?

Read our guide: The Ultimate Guide to Growing Shield Pennywort Hydrocotyle sibthorpioides in Your Pond: Tips, Tricks, and Benefits.

Looking for more pond plants? Explore our range of Pond Plants Online and find plants for pond edges, bog gardens, shallow water, wildlife habitat and floating cover.