A water plant, succeeding in shallow water or a bog garden. Tolerates most soils but repays generous treatment. The stems of this plant root at the nodes wherever they come into contact with the soil. Plants seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits.

Young shoots - cooked. Used in the spring. Seed - raw or cooked. It is rather small and fiddly to utilize.

Seed - sow spring in a cold frame. Germination is usually free and easy. When they are large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer if they have reached sufficient size. If not, overwinter them in a cold frame and plant them out the following spring after the last expected frosts. Division in spring or autumn. Very easy, larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is better to pot up the smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a cold frame until they are well established before planting them out in late spring or early summer.

Ponds and damp ground by streams, lakes etc.