Introducing water to the garden has many benefits, and by choosing the best pond plants, you can create an invaluable habitat that’s both beautiful to look at and friendly to wildlife.
You should aim to cover about two-thirds of your pond with plants. This can include a mix of plants: some that thrive on the lake’s edge, species that prefer the shallows, as well as deep-water plants and those that float on the surface.
With a little knowledge, it is possible to create magic Garden pond ideaNo matter how big or small your water feature is. Keep reading for our pick of the best pond plants and how to care for them.
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1. Yellow Flag Iris (Iris pseudachorus)
Yellow flag iris is a marginal plant that works best if you have a large pond Garden design. They are easy to grow and will produce lots of yellow flowers from late spring. You should divide the rhizomes every two years after the plant flowers in June.
Where to Buy Yellow Flag Iris:
2. Water forget-me-not (Myosotis scorpioides)
Water forget-me-nots are easy plants to grow for pond margins. It bears clusters of small blue flowers with yellow centers that bloom on low-growing foliage, helping to hide unsightly pond liners and soften hard lines.
It is best grown in water deeper than 5 cm, and the flowering time is from May to September.
Don’t forget where to buy water:
3. Frogbit
Frogbit is an attractive floating plant with rounded leaves and small white flowers, each with a yellow spot on the petals. It looks a bit like a water lily, and needs to be thinned regularly to prevent it from taking over water.
If you are curious Attracts biodiversity In your garden, frogbits are helpful for providing shade to pond creatures.
Where to buy Frogbit:
4. Waterlily (nymphaeaceae)
A classic choice for your best pond plants list, and certainly one of the most beautiful floating water plants, waterlilies are available in red, yellow, pink and white. According to Dan Rip, Aquatics Buyer at Squires Garden Centres“They need lots of sun and will thrive if aquatic plant food is provided for ponds.”
He advises that waterlilies don’t like water running or splashing over their pad, so consider their placement if you’re combining them with others. Consider water featuresLike a small shower. Some varieties of waterlily can grow too large for small ponds, so check the dimensions carefully before choosing one.
Where to Buy Waterlilies:
5. Spiked Water Milfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum)
Spiked water milfoil is an oxygenating plant that can grow in deep water and is always submerged. Along with contributing to healthy pond water, it provides habitat for tadpoles and invertebrates.
It has red foliage and is a fast grower, blooms at a depth of 30cm to 450cm and prefers full sun or partial shade.
Where to buy Spiked Water Milfoil:
6. Marsh Marigold (Celtha palustris)
Also known as kingcup, marsh marigold is an attractive marginal plant with vivid buttercup-like flowers on upright stems. This pond plant will attract bees, hoverflies and butterflies, making it a great choice if you want to create An eco-friendly garden.
It is happy in wet mud or in water up to 10 cm above the crown of the plant, and should be placed in a sunny spot inside a basket to accommodate its growth.
Where to Buy Marsh Marigold:
7. Water Crowfoot (Ranunculus aquatilis)
Water crowfoot is a very effective oxygenator, with leaves growing both under and above water. From April to June, it produces beautiful, small white and yellow flowers on the leaf mats, as well as growing below the surface. If you decide to leave it, plant it at a depth of 15 to 60 cm.
Where to buy Water Crowfoot:
8. Golden Club (Aurontium aquaticus)
Golden club is a sculptural, deep-water perennial with bluish-green floating leaves and white pencil-shaped stems with yellow tips in spring. This pond plant is valuable for keeping the water clean.
It should be planted in a large pond basket to accommodate its growth, and cut back if the flowers are overgrown. It thrives at a depth of about 40 cm and in full sun.
Where to buy Golden Club:
9. Water Smartweed (Amphibian bistort)
Water smartweed has dark green floating leaves and erect, pink, bottle-brush-shaped flowers on stout stems up to 30 centimeters. They bloom from mid-summer to autumn and once established, grow quickly and vigorously, thriving in water depths of up to 80cm.
Where to buy Water Smartweed:
10. Scarlet Monkey Flower (Mimulus cardinalis)
Scarlet monkey flower has tubular, orange-red flowers that bloom from summer to late fall. It thrives in sunny conditions and is one of the easiest plants to grow in your garden pond.
If it gets too big, cut it back during the growing season or remove the seed heads to encourage more flowers.
Where to Buy Scarlet Monkey Flower:
FAQs
When should you plant pond plants?
According to RHSThe ideal time to plant the best pond plants is between mid-spring and early summer, when the water is warming and the plants are more likely to establish well.
How do I plant pond plants?
In small ponds, plants should ideally be grown in containers to prevent them from getting too large and taking up space. These containers are often called aquifer baskets and have mesh sides to allow water, air and other gases to flow freely.
- Line the container with a porous fabric such as hessian and apply a medium to heavy loam compost. The RHS advises that garden soil can be used, as long as it is free from fertilizers and herbicides. A specialist aquatic fertilizer is available from Amazon or garden centers.
- Add some heavy pebbles to prevent the container from floating and fill it part way with compost.
- Plants should be submerged to the depth of their root container, unless they are rhizomes, in which case they should just peek out at the soil surface. Firm in the well.
- Some oxygenating plants can simply be left in the water.
Hexagon Aquatic Baskets
Keep your pond plants under control with these three-liter pots available in square, kidney and round shapes.
How many oxygenating plants do I need for my pond?
In a new pond, a good guideline is to add three bunches of oxygenating plants per square meter.
What kind of wildlife will my pond plants attract?
According to Dan Reep, “Ponds attract wildlife to your garden very quickly, and provide excellent habitat for wildlife such as fish, amphibians and invertebrates. Submerged plants produce oxygen and provide shade for aquatic life, such as newts and frogs.” That will do too Attracts birds For drinking and bathing throughout the year.
What are the best pond plants for a small pond?
Dwarf waterlilies And Water hyacinths Both are floating plants that serve as excellent choices for small ponds. Corkscrew rush There is an attractive, grassy margin that remains manageable, while Creepy Jenny Soften the edges with a mat of foliage no higher than 7cm.
For a sunken option, try disasterIt has long stems with feathery foliage.
What are the different types of pond plants?
There are five main types of aquatic plants, so keep these in mind if you’re learning how to create a garden pond and want to make sure you’re choosing the best plants for your design. It is a good idea to have a mix of different varieties.
- Bog plants It is a moisture-loving plant that sits on the perimeter of ponds. They are not strictly defined as aquatic plants, but they prefer to have permanently wet roots, and they are valuable in helping to define the shape of the pond. They are usually planted at a depth of 0-15cm.
- marginal plants Grows in shallow water, grows above it. Their roots must be completely underwater. Planting depth 0-15 cm.
- Deep marginal plants will come out and flower on the water. Their planting depth is 15-40 cm.
- Deep water and oxygenating plants Important for a healthy pond. They may float on top of the water, stick out slightly, or be completely submerged. “They are very valuable because they absorb nutrients from the water that can prevent nuisance algae from growing, keeping your water clean and clear,” explains Dan Reep. Planting depth is more than 40 cm.
- floating plants Sit on the surface of the lake. Their roots hang in water. They are generally low maintenance and provide shade for fish and an easy place for pond wildlife to roost.
Putting together your selection of plants for ponds is like choosing a regular border design. When incorporating all-important oxygenators into the water, it’s always a good idea to mix textures, leaf sizes, and foliage tones and shapes for variety.
“If you have a pond you really should have pond plants,” Dan Ripp concludes. “They help create and maintain a healthy, balanced ecosystem, and they play a big role in keeping your pond in good condition.”
For more expert advice, read our guide on the latest Garden trends Or How to zone a garden.
The original version of this article previously appeared on Gardeningetc, a sister website to Homebuilding and Renovating.
