We have seen Newt eggs in the Myosotis scorpioides Forget me not this week (formerly named Myosotis palustris).
We have been watching this stem of Forget-me-not leaf:
- It became folded over and over
- Then we could see the swelling of the clear jelly that surrounds the eggs becoming more obvious in each fold of the leaf.
- There are three eggs in jelly shown in the close up images of the folded leaf below.
- The leaf was growing under the water so that is where the females lay these eggs.
- If you are watching for signs of newt eggs in your pond by looking from outside your pond you will see the folded leaves on the water surface from above as in the first image below.
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- Newt eggs are wrapped in the leaf of Myosotis scorpioides plant
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- Myosotis leaf folded into a concertina with eggs in each fold
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- Close up to show eggs in the folds of the Myosotis scorpioides leaf
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- Newt egg unwrapped from its folded leaf
You can encourage a female newt to lay eggs in your pond by having small leaved plants growing from under the water surface. These leaves should be growing early in the year - around March - May depending on the temperature.
Suggestions would be Myosotis scorpioides, Myosotis scorpioides alba, Veronica beccabunga, Rorippa nasturtium aquaticum. For a larger pond and slightly later leaf growth choose Mentha aquatica.
Please see our Tips and Advice page on The lifecycle of a newt for more information on newts.