Artist's Palette - Water Shield

When I look at you, I see... an artist's palette.

Today we glided across the pond in our old aluminum Smoker Craft canoe, me up front with a camera and my hubby in back with a paddle.  I was thinking the other day, as autumn nears, that water shield leaves now overcrowding the water's surface in our pond (Brasenia schreberi) are beginning to look like artists' palette's.  I picture in my mind the artist, an elderly gentleman, glasses perched at the edge of his nose, standing in front of his stretched canvas and easel, a wooden palette in his left hand, and an old camel hair brush in his right.  The palette has been his friend for years with layer upon layer of paint, a work of art in itself, coating it's wooden surface.

The water shield plant has small oval shaped leaves that float on the water's surface and grow in places where depth is seven feet or less.  It's leaves are attached in the center to purple stems beneath the surface; both the undersides of the leaves and the stems are coated with a gelatinous substance.  Water shield leaves lack the cut out portion or slit of the larger lily pad leaves but often grow next to one another.  Although great for fish habitat, the leaves can become so dense that they make it difficult to take a cast for fish.  We've learned that water shield plants can be eaten.  Although we have never tasted them, it's comforting to know that with their abundance we will never starve in summertime!

This time of year the colors of the green water shield leaves take on more orange, yellow, red, and purple hues.  The leaves make a great resting spot for spiders, water bugs, and moths.  I love to gaze at the unique swirls and colorations on them that sometimes resemble marbling and agate like patterns.

If you stare at the beautiful water shield leaves long enough they can almost hypnotize you... another wonder of nature often taken for granted that can be seen in most shallow Wisconsin ponds and lakes this time of year.

Water Lily with larger leaves growing amongst smaller Water Shield leaves