The water chestnut (Trapa natans) 
Also known as water caltrop is an attractive aquatic floating plant native to the UK, ideal for ponds. With its rosettes of green, diamond-shaped leaves that float on the water surface, it adds a unique and serene aesthetic. This plant produces small, delicate white flowers in the summer, followed by the chestnut-like fruits. *Trapa natans* also provides excellent habitat for aquatic wildlife, offering shelter for fish and a resting place for insects. It's a great choice for enhancing pond biodiversity while maintaining a balanced ecosystem.
The plant reproduces primarily through its fruits, which sink to the bottom of the water body and germinate. A single fruit can produce several new plants, Trapa natans will die back in winter, but its seeds will overwinter at the bottom of the pond and germinate in the following spring.