Wolffia Live Floating Plant (Wolffia arrhiza) – Rare Watermeal, World’s Smallest Flowering Plant, Fast-Growing Superfood for Ponds & Aquariums

Minimum: 500+ leaves

If you’re fascinated by the rare and unusual, Wolffia arrhiza, also known as watermeal, is a living wonder you’ll want to grow. This tiny aquatic marvel is recognized as the world’s smallest flowering plant, yet it has outsized value in aquaculture, ponds, aquariums, and even the kitchen. To hold a pinch of Wolffia in your hand is to marvel at nature’s efficiency, nutrient-packed, fast-multiplying, and ecologically powerful.

When I first introduced Wolffia to a backyard pond, the transformation was instant. Within days, the surface had a delicate green “meal” that shimmered under the sun. Unlike duckweed, Wolffia is even smaller and smoother, creating a clean floating mat that fish, shrimp, and snails eagerly grazed on. Its fast growth and remarkable protein content make it both a natural feed source and a conversation piece.

🌱 Why Grow Wolffia arrhiza?

• World’s smallest flowering plant: A botanical rarity and true collector’s prize.

• Superfood potential: Extremely high in protein, amino acids, and micronutrients.

• Aquaculture favorite: Used as natural fish, shrimp, and snail feed.

• Fast growth: Reproduces rapidly in nutrient-rich water, replenishing itself with ease.

• Water purifier: Absorbs excess nutrients, helping balance ponds and aquariums.

• Versatile use: Suitable for outdoor ponds, aquaponics, indoor aquariums, or educational projects.

📜 History & Uniqueness:
Wolffia has been used for centuries in parts of Asia as a traditional food source, sometimes called “khai-nam” (water eggs) in Thailand. Its nutritional profile rivals soybeans and spirulina, making it an emerging sustainable plant-based protein for the future of food. In the natural world, it thrives in still waters across multiple continents, showing incredible resilience and adaptability. Owning Wolffia is like keeping a piece of evolutionary brilliance in your care.

☀️ How to Grow Wolffia arrhiza:

• Water conditions: Still or gently moving freshwater; nutrient-rich is best.

• Light: Moderate to bright indirect light; thrives outdoors in full sun or indoors under grow lights.

• Temperature: Prefers 64–86°F (18–30°C); can tolerate warm climates but slows in cold water.

• Placement: Scatter directly on the water’s surface; no substrate needed.

• Care tip: Avoid strong currents or filters that may pull it under; use calm zones or floating rings in aquariums.

• Maintenance: Harvest small amounts regularly to prevent overgrowth and encourage fresh new growth.

🌿 Practical Uses:

• Ponds & water gardens: Adds natural greenery while feeding koi, goldfish, or tilapia.

• Aquariums: A living food source for shrimp, snails, and small fish; helps absorb excess nutrients.

• Permaculture & aquaponics: A regenerative crop that multiplies quickly for continuous harvest.

• Human superfood potential 🥗: Though not yet mainstream everywhere, Wolffia is eaten in some cultures for its high protein, vitamins, and minerals.

• Education: A perfect teaching plant for biology, sustainability, and plant evolution.

💧 Companion Notes:
Wolffia pairs well with duckweed or Azolla in aquaponic systems, but it’s fine on its own if you want to highlight its smooth, bead-like texture. In ponds, balance it with submerged oxygenating plants for a healthy ecosystem.

🌟 Why You’ll Love It:
Growing Wolffia arrhiza is like having a secret jewel of the plant kingdom in your pond or tank. It’s simple, fast, and endlessly fascinating to watch as it multiplies. Whether you’re a homesteader experimenting with sustainable protein, a hobbyist building a balanced aquarium, or a collector of rare plants, Wolffia delivers something unique: beauty, utility, and story all in one.

Add Wolffia Live Floating Plant (Watermeal) to your water garden or aquarium today, and experience the delight of growing the world’s smallest flowering plant, tiny, powerful, and alive with possibility. 🌱✨