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Creating a water garden in the form of a small pond in your yard may take a bit of effort, but brings hours of enjoyment. In my previous article, I wrote about how to construct and care for water gardens. Today, we'll look at several possible plants to enhance a backyard pond, from completely submersed plants to carnivorous plants and show-stoppers.
There are three types of aquatic plants to consider for your pond: submersed, emergent and floating. A mix of all three is preferable. Submersed plants add oxygen to the pond water and provide a protective space for fish, frogs and other wildlife. Emergent plants, also known as marginal plants, have roots below the water surface and produce shoots that emerge above the surface. There are two types of floating plants: floating-leaved plants and floating plants. Floating-leaved plants have roots anchored below the water surface and leaves floating on the surface. Floating plants are not anchored to the sediment and have leaves which float freely on the surface of the water.
Two popular submersed plants are Fanwort and Hornwort. They are native Florida aquatic plants known as oxygenators. Both provide a resting and hiding place for fish. Fanwort has underwater, fan-shaped leaves while Hornwort has fan-shaped leaves which emerge from the stem in a whorl arrangement. On rare occasions, Fanwort develops floating, diamond-shaped leaves and small, half-inch wide white to purplish flowers. Hornwort differs from Fanwort as it does not have roots and floats freely in the water. Both grow quickly and may need to be thinned. Some gardeners plant Fanwort in baskets to contain growth. When removing Fanwort, it's best to compost, bury, or burn it since in some states it is considered invasive.
Blue Flag Iris and Pickerel Weed are two examples of emergent or marginal plants. These native perennials can be aggressive. Planting them in pots with no drainage holes helps keep them contained. Blue Flag Iris is a clumping plant with light green leaves and showy lavender-blue flowers. Pickerel Weed has shiny, green leaves and purple tubular flowers emerging on spikes. The flowers attract butterflies and bees while its seeds are a food source for birds. Below the surface, these plants provide food and a safe haven for fish and aquatic invertebrates.
Water lilies are floating-leaved plants which are planted in soil and in pots with drainage holes for water circulation. Pebbles are placed on top of the soil to hold it in place. They are positioned with the pot rim just below the surface of the water allowing their round leaves and colorful flowers to float on the surface. Similarly, the American Lotus is a floating-leaved plant with circular leaves and large, fragrant yellow or pink showy flowers. They are a show-stopper in large ponds. Fortunately, there are dwarf cultivars for the small ornamental home pond.
Two examples of floating plants include Duckweed and Purple Bladderwort. Duckweed, a tiny clover-like floating plant with flat, smooth green leaves, may look like a floating island of algae. Instead, it is the smallest flowering plant, so small its flowers are microscopic. It is known as a bioremediating aquatic plant as it removes excess nitrogen and phosphorus from water sources. Once absorbed, these nutrients make Duckweed a nutrient-rich food source for fish, birds and other wildlife. It is grown for livestock as well.
Purple Bladderwort floats on thick, underwater stems. Its small, lavender to purple flowers form upper and lower lips which open and close on unsuspecting small insects, including mosquito larvae, making it an aquatic carnivorous plant. Its flowers also attract pollinators to your home water garden.
There are numerous aquatic plants to liven up your ornamental home pond. These are just a few possibilities. For more details on the plants listed above and a plant directory, please visit the following websites: gardensolutions.ifas.ufl.edu; edis.ifas.ufl.edu; plants.ifas.ufl.edu.
Happy gardening!
Deborah Haggett is a Lee County Master Gardener Volunteer and a member of the Garden Club of Cape Coral. Visit us at gardenclubofcapecoral.com.