It is found throughout the world where there is plentiful standing fresh water, sunlight, and humid air, but is especially common in Africa, Asia and central Europe.

[5] Salvinia natans has two nickel-sized leaves lying flat against the surface of the water, and a third submerged leaf which functions as a root.

In Asia, the plant is native to Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, China, Cyprus, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, northwest Pakistan, the Russian Federation, Japan, Korea, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, and Uzbekistan.

In Europe, it is native to Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Moldova, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, the southern European portion of the Russian Federation, Slovakia, Spain, Ukraine, and the states within the former Yugoslavia.

[3] Data from archaeological sites and pollen cores has shown that the species commonly occurred in the Rhine/Meuse delta in the Netherlands during the Middle Holocene.