Overview
Montia fontana is a small, low-growing annual or short-lived perennial of wet ground, forming sprawling mats or loose tufts 1-6 inches (2.5-15 cm) high. The slender, succulent stems carry pairs of narrow, spoon-shaped fleshy leaves 0.2-0.6 inch (5-15 mm) long, bright green and slightly glossy. Tiny white flowers about 0.1 inch (2-3 mm) across open in small clusters from spring into summer, each with five petals that barely exceed the green sepals. The plant grows in flushes, springs, streamsides, wet tracks, and seasonally flooded ground, often where water seeps over gravel or rock. It depends on constant moisture and collapses quickly as the soil dries, completing its life cycle and setting seed before drought. Stems root at the lower nodes, so colonies knit into shallow green carpets in suitable wet places. The young shoots and leaves are mild and succulent and have been eaten in salads. Flowers are easily overlooked, and the plant is more often noticed as a soft green mat than for bloom. It reseeds freely in damp ground and can appear as a volunteer in wet gardens and containers.
Native Range
Montia fontana has a near-cosmopolitan distribution in cool, wet habitats, native across Europe, Asia, the Americas, and other temperate regions. It grows in springs, flushes, streamsides, and seasonally wet ground, usually on acidic substrates.Suggested Uses
Grown at pond and stream margins, in bog gardens, and in wet seeps where few plants thrive, forming a low green carpet. Suits wildlife and naturalistic wet plantings and can be grown as an edible salad leaf. It also colonises the damp surface of container ponds.How to Identify
Appearance
Size & Dimensions
Height1" - 6"
Width/Spread4" - 1'
Bloom Information
Detailed Descriptions
Foliage Description
Bright greenGrowing Conditions
Sun Requirements
Requires 3-8 hours of direct sunlight daily
• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight
• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight
• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight
Water & Climate
Water Needs
Care & Maintenance
Care Guide
Grow in consistently wet to saturated ground in full sun to part shade, at pond margins, in bog gardens, or in seasonally flooded hollows. The plant needs steady moisture and fails rapidly on drying soil, so it suits seeps, stream edges, and wet container plantings rather than ordinary beds. Acidic, gravelly, or sandy substrates that stay damp suit it. It needs no feeding and self-sows readily where conditions remain moist. Sow seed in autumn or spring onto wet soil, pressing it into the surface without burying. Plants are killed by drought rather than cold, so the cycle restarts from seed each season.Pruning
No pruning is needed for this low annual; spent growth dies back naturally as the soil dries. Thin or pull excess seedlings where the mat spreads beyond its intended area. Remove decaying foliage from container water to keep it clear.Container Growing
✓ Suitable for container growing
Minimum container size: 2 gallons
✓ Toxicity
Non-toxicPlanting Guide
Planting Methods & Timing
Planting Method
direct sow
Direct Sow Timing
Autumn or early spring onto wet soil
Plant Spacing
4 inches