Looks like a water plant, but is it?

Its Bergenia my Mum used to call it Elephants ears.

Sorry i didn't answer your question, no its not a water plant.

know it as Elephant's Ears,

It does spread.
At least ours spread and I pulled it up because it was taking over a herbaceous bed but would be fine in the right place without competition.

I had bergenia in my last house. Gosh what a thug! If you grow it you’ll have to be firm with it!

Thanks for solving the puzzle and for the advice.

I am gradually moving some of it to places where it is more than welcome to spread.

I have always called then elephant ears. It's spreads and flowers 3-4 times a year or mine does.

Elephant's ears it is. Lovely.

We have a lot growing around trees where nothing much else grows, it seems to be tolerant of a lot of different conditions.