(a rooted plant)
A great classic for aquaponics and natural ponds!
Water mint (Mentha aquatica L.) was probably one of the first plants used in aquaponics.
Indeed, it grows very well with its roots in water, without necessarily needing a substrate, feeding on excess nitrates and all the metabolic waste produced by fish.
Much like the yellow flag iris, it thrives with its feet in water or in the damp soil along the banks. But its much smaller size means it can be used in all kinds of settings, including indoors and in an open aquarium.
Along the edge of a pond, it can be planted in damp soil or in water up to 10–15 cm deep. Its stems will emerge and bloom, forming magnificent clusters of small flowers ranging from very pale pink (almost white) to a brighter pink.
Its leaves are aromatic (it is a mint!).
Above all, and this may be its most appreciated quality outdoors: it strongly attracts pollinators. Honeybees, wild bees, and bumblebees of all species flock to it to feed on the nectar of its flowers.
In permaculture mini-ponds or around your pond, it will therefore ensure permanent biodiversity that will benefit all the other plants in the garden.
It spreads rapidly on its own when conditions suit it. Its creeping roots produce runners like its terrestrial cousin, allowing it to occupy all the space you give it. Some stems can occasionally reach 80 cm in height, although this is the maximum; the plant more generally remains around thirty centimetres tall.
It survives winter without any problems, tolerating temperatures down to -15°C. Its above-ground stems disappear in winter and it regrows vigorously in spring, much to the delight of insects.
This bare-root stem, supplied without artificial substrate, gives you complete freedom in choosing how to plant it: bare roots immersed in the water of an aquarium or aquaponics pond, planted in very damp potting soil, or finally planted in the soil or mud of a pond.
