Frog Bit

Other Common Names: frog's bit, American frog's bit, common frog bit

(Limnobium spongia)

Non-Native

Frog bit is an emergent aquatic plant with round to heart shaped leaves and white flowers.

Description

Frog bit has round or heart shaped leaves that emerge from the water’s surface. The leaves are thick and leathery, bright green and shiny above and reddish underneath.

The leaf stalks are slender and have ridges on either side. The plant can be floating or rooted.

Frog bit blooms from summer to fall with white flowers. Each flower contains three white petals with a yellow center.

 

Frog bit can be confused with water hyacinth. The main differences are that frog bit has a slender leaf stalk with ridges and it has whitish roots while water hyacinth has fleshy leaf stalks and dark roots.

Location

Frog bit can be found across the southeastern United States.

Propagation

stolons