Choosing the plants to place in your pond can be an exciting task, but it can also be overwhelming. Plants come in a variety of shapes and sizes and with various benefits. There are floating plants, bog plants, emergent plants and submerged plants that can all contribute to the health of your pond ecosystem. Here are some of the most popular plants you can add for beauty and diversity in your pond environment.
Water Hyacinth
The water hyacinth is a floating pond plant known for its beautiful purple flowers. They bloom throughout the summer and are easy to grow. It is sometimes considered invasive because of the fast growth, but you can handle this problem by thinning out the plants regularly. Thorough aeration with a lake fountain pump is essential to maintain healthy levels of oxygen for the plants and animals in your pond.
Water Lettuce
Another floating plant, water lettuce is a prime addition to your pond environment. These plants absorb nitrates and the roots provide a safe environment for fish, turtles and frogs. This plant is also a fast-grower, which means you need to thin out the population often.
Waterweed
Waterweed is a plant that koi fish love to eat. This plant grows fast but can be maintained if you do have fish who want to snack on it.
Eelgrass
This submerged plant type looks a lot like grass growing on the bottom of your pond. It’s easy to care for and can contribute to the beauty of your pond by providing a lovely ground cover.
Arrowhead
Emergent plants grow along the shoreline and provide shade and safety for many pond creatures. The arrowhead offers a jungle look to the edge of your pond with its bright green leaves and the roots help filter out excess nutrients and nitrates.
Water Lily
Water lilies are gorgeous flowering plants that come in white, pink or yellow. They provide plenty of shade and cover to keep the water temperature cool and give pond inhabitants places to hide.
Horsetail
The horsetail plant resembles bamboo and is considered a bog plant, which is a type of species that enjoys growing near the edge of the pond. It can grow fast so may need to be contained in a pot.
Pitcher Plant
This is a carnivorous plant that can help control the bug population around your pond while aiding in filtration.
The most important thing to remember when choosing plants is to pick a variety. This increases the diversity of your habitat so it attracts more wildlife and keeps your pond healthy.