Choosing Your Pond Plants
We have plants suitable for the smallest container pond up to the largest lake as well as plants that like to grow in moist conditions. To help you to choose suitable plants they are grouped according to the depth at which they grow with descriptions of each plant. The planting depths given refer to the depth of water above soil level.
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- Plants for the deeper parts of your pond are listed under three categories, oxygenating plants, deeper water aquatics and water lilies.
Oxygenating Pond Plants
Oxygenating pond plants breathe and condition water. In addition to oxygenating the water, this category of plant performs two other valuable functions. Firstly, they take nutrients from the water which helps to reduce the growth of algae. Secondly, they provide a shady refuge for fish and wildlife and their spawn. But beware! Some species of oxygenating plants can be invasive and need to be controlled. Information about which species are, or are not, invasive is contained within individual descriptions.
Deeper Water Aquatic Pond Plants
This is a very useful category of aquatic plants. Not only will they grow in deeper water than the marginals but they also provide much needed shade in the absence of lilies or while newly planted lilies establish themselves. But unlike lilies, deeper water plants will tolerate partial shade and some splashing and moving water. Some species of deeper water plants will grow in very deep water. More information about these is available in individual descriptions. Deeper water aquatic pond plants.
Water Lilies
Apart from their beauty and lovely scent, water lilies provide much needed shade not only for fish and their spawn but for all forms of aquatic wildlife. They help create a natural aquatic habitat. They also help to reduce solar light levels. This reduction in sunlight helps to reduce algae.
- Plants for shallower water – often known as marginals.
Marginal Plants
Marginal plants grow happily in from the shallow edges of a pond out to a depth of between 4″ and 18″ (See individual descriptions for planting depths). A wide choice of both flowering and non-flowering plants providing colour, structure and interest as well as habitats for fish and wildlife.
- Plants which float on the surface of the water
Floating Water Plants
These plants spend their time floating in the pond often sinking to overwinter on the bottom of the pond. They remove nutrients from the water and provide shade and therefore help to control algae. Floating plants.