Parrot's feather is a versatile plant for ponds and water gardens. It earned its moniker from its dense plumes of fine-texture foliage. Grow it underwater to oxygenate water, provide fish a place to hide, and reduce on algae. Or let parrot’s feather float on the water to provide shade. It can also be grown in wet soil at the water's edge, but care must be taken outside of a contained water garden to manage the plant's invasive spread. Parrot’s feather has both submerged and emergent foliage. The emergent stems will root near the shoreline via rhizomes.

Where to Plant Parrot's Feather

Its fine, almost fernlike texture makes parrot's feather a beautiful contrast to lotus, water lily, and other big-leaf water-garden plants. It grows equally well in ponds and container water gardens.

Plant parrot's feather with papyrus; its upright growing habit looks good with a carpet of low-growing parrot's feather at the base. Or place parrot's feather near water lily's big, flat pads and attractive blooms to contrast with the fine texture of parrot's feather.

The plant is especially useful for improving water quality: It efficiently absorbs excess nutrients, ensuring water purity and helping reduce the growth of unsightly algae. Unfortunately, it's also valued by mosquitoes, who like to lay eggs around the plant as it floats in shallow water.

How and When to Plant Parrot's Feather

Plant parrot's feather at water's edge, in containers, or place them on the surface of a pond in late spring after all danger of frost has passed. Plant rhizomes in a medium-size water garden container filled with heavy garden soil or dig a hole large enough to accomodate the roots and rhizome in a sunny spot in soil that remains moist at all times (at the margins of waterways is best).

You can also bury the rhizomes in pea gravel at the bottom of a small pond as long as the submerged plant receives ample sunlight.

Parrot's Feather Care

Light

Parrot's feather grows fastest in full sun (6 to 8 hours of direct light per day), but it tolerates sites with only morning sun. The less sun it gets, the slower it grows and the less efficiently it improves water quality.

Soil and Water

Plant its delicate rhizomes in heavy loam in pond bottoms or water garden containers. It will quickly root and begin to spread. Its ability to root also makes parrot's feather a good transitional plant for shorelines but you will have to manage its prolific spread.

Temperature and Humidity

As a native of the Amazon, parrot's feather is comfortable with heat and humidity during the growing season. It thrives in warm, summer temperatures ranging from 70 to 100 degrees F.

In cold-winter areas within its hardiness zones, parrot's feather dies back to the rhizomes. Below zone 6, where the plant is treated as an annual, parrot's feather should be removed after frost and discarded.

Fertilizer

Parrot's feather does not require any fertilization.

Pruning

During the growing season, cutting back parrot's feather only appears to encourage the plant to grow more vigorously. Manage the number of floating plants by lifting out new plants and discarding them. After a hard frost, it should be pruned to the ground or water level so the dead foliage doesn't decompose over winter.

Potting and Repotting Parrot's Feather

Growing parrot's feather in a container is the best way to manage its aggressive spread. Use a perforated plastic pot designed for water gardens. Plant the rhizomes in heavy loam soil—do not use potting mix. Place the pot in the water garden so that the plants float freely on the surface. You may submerge the plant entirely beneath water but ensure that it is still receiving adequate sunlight to maintain its effectiveness as a water purifier.

As the plant is an annual in most areas where it is legal to grow, it will not need to be repotted and can be discarded at the end of the growing season.

Pests and Problems

Parrot's feather is a relatively pest- and disease-free plant. Dieback is one of the few issues you might face if the plant is growing in-ground and the soil dries out completely. Note that dieback is normal after frost.

How to Propagate Parrot's Feather

Since parrot's feather grows so prolifically, chances are you'll spend more time managing its growth rather than trying to create more plants. Parrot's feather may reproduce through fragmentation, an asexual process where a piece of the plant breaks off and grows into a separate adult plant on its own. As a rhizomatous plant, parrot's feather can also be propagated by dividing a rhizome into pieces that each have foliage and roots attached.

Only female plants are known to grow in North America so they will not produce seed.

Types of Parrot's Feather

Red Stemmed Parrot's Feather

Dwarf Red Stemmed Parrot Feather (Myriophyllum brasillensis var ‘Red Stemmed’) is smaller than the species. It features a red stem that contrasts nicely with the fine green foliage. This variety is a favorite plant in the aquarium trade. Zones 6-10

Parrot's Feather Companion Plants

Water Lily

Water lilies are available in a rainbow of color options. Many of the hardy varieties have soft, pastel flowers; tropical varieties come in jewel tones of bright blues, purples, oranges, and yellows. Many varieties have a lovely fragrance, too. Although the majority of the species bloom strictly in the daytime, some bloom at night and close in the early morning. Zones 3-11

Lotus

One of the most elegant bloomers in any water garden, the lotus (Nelumbo spp.) produces large, striking, peony-like flowers throughout the summer. The blooms appear in a number of colors and are a perfect accent to its gorgeous blue-green leaves. Zones 4-11

Papyrus

While ancient Egyptians used this plant to make paper, papyrus (Cyperus papyrus) is also a great water garden plant. The tall stems create a decidedly tropical look. Zones 9-10