The floating leaves of Pondweed are fading at the end of summer. And the leaves of the nearby trees fall in the water, drift with the breeze, and catch on the Pondweed. They look golden in the sunlight, brighten the pond, and complement the wildflowers surrounding the water.
Floating Pondweed Potemogeton natans has two kinds of leaves; floating and submerged. The shiny leathery floating leaves are opaque, and support the whole plant which is rooted in the mud below. The submerged leaves are thin, transparent, and move with the water. In summer these plants provide habitats for many tiny aquatic invertebrates. These in turn are used as food by frogs, snakes, turtles, and ducks who feed here. After these plants die, their decomposition by bacteria and fungi provides food in turn for the aquatic invertebrates. The Pondweed survives winter with rhizomes buried in the mud at the bottom.
