Canberra's 'millennial pink' pond is a growing attraction

Thanks to some well-placed Instagram posts, maybe a tad heavy on the filter, this otherwise nondescript pond in Bruce is getting some social media traction, with its spectacular cover of pink water plants.

The pond, in Eardley Street, Bruce, was captured by an Instagrammer and then reposted by VisitCanberra.

A VisitCanberra spokesperson even went so far as to call it the "millennial pink lake", a nod to the colour of the season, a few seasons ago.

Turns out the pink stuff is an Australian native fern species called Azolla Pinnata and the fact it's pink usually signals good water quality, says University of Canberra post-doctorate research fellow in freshwater biology Will Higgisson.

Dr Higgisson says the plant is usually green but turns pink to purple in low phosphorus water, indicating all is well and actually the opposite of conditions causing algae.

He said the plant was turned pink by anthocyanins, the pigments which also give raspberries and blueberries their colour.

The plant was not harmful to aquatic or other wildlife or humans.

"But, I wouldn't eat it," Dr Higgisson said.

Dr Higgisson said he didn't expect the plants to grow any further.

VisitCanberra said the "millennial pink lake" was "a nod to the much Instagrammed pink lakes along the Coral Coast of Western Australia".

"They have been trending on @australia Instagram account for a while. Canberrans have found one much closer to home," the spokesperson said.