Marginal pond plant
Greater spearwort
Ranunculus lingua L.
A clump-forming emergent perennial for muddy pond margins, Ranunculus lingua grows in shallow water and produces bowl-shaped yellow flowers in early summer. It is native to Britain and valued by pollinators.
PLANT PROFILE
About Greater spearwort
Greater spearwort (Ranunculus lingua) is an erect, clump-forming marginal perennial recommended for muddy pond margins. RHS cultivation guidance and wetland species lists describe it as a rooted emergent that prefers shallow, muddy edges of ponds and will tolerate still or slow-moving water. It is listed for wildlife gardens and is recorded as a resource for pollinators, making it a useful plant for enhancing wetland biodiversity at a pond edge.
Cultivation advice from the supplied sources indicates growing it in muddy pool margins in water around 15–25 cm deep and in a sunny position. The plant reaches around 1–1.5 m in height with a spread up to about 0.5–1 m, so allow room at the margin for clumps to develop. It is herbaceous and deciduous: foliage dies back over winter and stems are typically cut back after flowering. Propagation by division in spring or autumn is the method described in the sources, and established clumps can be moved or divided to create new plants at the pond edge.
RHS notes that the species is generally pest-free though it can be affected by powdery mildew, rust or grey moulds in some conditions. The plant is also listed as potentially harmful if eaten and may cause skin irritation; the supplied guidance recommends handling with care (for example wearing gloves). The species is given a hardy rating (H7) in the RHS profile and is recorded as native to Great Britain and Ireland in the sources consulted. It is not described as a submerged oxygenating macrophyte in the supplied material, but as an emergent, broad-leaved wetland species. The GOV.UK invasive-plant lists consulted do not include Ranunculus lingua, based on the supplied guidance checked.
POND SUITABILITY