Myriophyllum Brasiliensis Red Stem Pond Plant

Grown for ponds that need a reliable oxygenating plant, this feathery aquatic shows bright green foliage with red stems above the waterline. Once planted deeper it develops a darker reddish underwater leaf form, and it's this submerged growth that helps oxygenate the water. It's supplied either as a single plant in a 1 litre mesh basket or as a pack of three plants in 9cm pots.

Myriophyllum brasiliensis is a feathery marginal plant that changes leaf form once it's submerged, giving it a dual role as both a decorative edge plant and a working oxygenator. Above the waterline the stems carry bright green, feathery foliage with a reddish tint; planted deeper, the leaves turn a darker reddy colour, and this underwater growth is what helps oxygenate the pond. It suits positions in full sun to part shade and flowers in June and July. Little ongoing care is needed beyond trimming back growth that spreads further than wanted. You can buy it as a single plant supplied in its own 1 litre mesh aquatic basket, ready to lower straight into the pond, or as a pack of three plants each in a 9cm pot for covering a larger planting area. The 9cm pot plants aren't pre-potted into a mesh basket, so you'll need to pot them before planting, whereas the 1 litre plant arrives already basketed. What marks this plant out is the visible colour shift between its emergent red-stemmed foliage and its darker submerged growth, giving it a different look above and below the surface.