The other worldly and elusive Featherfoil (Hottonia inflata) has been spotted at two of our local ponds. Weather conditions must have been just right  this year for there are reports of its presence from different locations around coastal Massachusetts, including Gloucester, Georgetown, and Chilmark, Martha’s Vineyard.

This aquatic member of the primrose family grows in wetlands from Texas to Maine, however as wetlands are disappearing so, too, is this vanishing beauty. Featherfoil is rare in five of the six New England states and In Massachusetts, Featherfoil is on the state’s “Watch List.” The Watch List identifies species that are of conservation concern because of being “rare, declining, or vulnerable.”

Many thanks to Heidi Wakeman for sharing her sighting of Featherfoil. I am so excited to be including this aquatic beauty in my pond film!

Read more about Featherfoil here – https://www.indefenseofplants.com/blog/tag/featherfoil