Aquatic Pond Plants

related article: Water Garden Plant | Floating Pond Plant

Aquatic Pond Plants are vital for any Water Garden

In each artificial water garden aquatic pond plants play a vital part for the health of the whole ecosystem. Pond plants produce oxygen for the pond life by binding nutrients in the water. A garden ponds plant is like your pond's lung that provides clear water for a fishpond. Beside this useful effect water flowers are also a great eye catcher in each water garden landscape (Flower Plant Photo | Aquatic Plant Pictures). We suggest to plant various species of pond flora in garden ponds and in the nearby garden.
 

Place floating pond plants, underwater flora and aquatic flowers in their specific pond zone. Do not cover more than two third of the water surface to preserve a healthy biological balance in your backyard pond. It is possible to add new pond flora during a whole year, but we advice to concentrate on the months until May as the most successful plant season.

 
Periodically remove faded blossoms and dead foliage to avoid the production of additional nutrients in the water. The soil from your garden will bring to many nutrients into the water, too. Don't use soil for planting your pond flora. We suggest sand that is rich of minerals and bevel. During pond care in autumn and spring do not remove the little buds that some floating pond plants have grown. These will sprout new leaves and blossoms next spring. We also advice to divide very dense water garden plants and to replant small groups during garden care in spring.
 

Garden Ponds need floating Plants

 
The banks and wet-zone of your water garden mark the natural transition between your aquatic garden pond life and the rest of your botanical landscape. When designing the banks and all wet pond zones, keep in mind the proportions of your water garden as well as the colour and the size your plants will get. Spider-lilies, wool-grass, iris, and moor plants like rush or reed are easy to handle and proper plants for garden pond banks. Clover is a perfect plant for banks, but it can grow in the wet-zone as well as in the swamp zone; fir grass can even grow in the shallow water zone.
 

 
For the swamp zone (water depth about 10 cm / 4 inches) we suggest reed and rush. These aquatic plants provide the perfect, natural background. But remember to plant these swamp zone plants in plant pots, because these plants intend to spread excessively. Special species for swamp rush and cat tail are also a great choice in this pond area. During the last years more and more pond owners prefer papyrus as a robust water garden plant. The smaller kind of Cyprus papyrus can even grow in plant pot inside the house, what is very helpful in winter. The high Egyptian papyrus can reach up to 3 m and needs a sunny spot without wind at your fishpond.
 

 
Most water flowers for a shallow water zone (water depth about 40 cm / 16 inches) you can get in any bigger garden pond centre. We suggest from our plant catalogue for this middle pond zone several aquatic pond plants like water poppy and water lettuce. To make the water garden look more natural plant a variety of species and repeat some species several times. Also Echinodorus Palaeafolius are a decorative aquatic garden plant. (Water Garden Plants | Outdoor Tropical Plants) Several of these plants grouped together create a interesting underwater world for your pond fish are provide numerous places for breeding.
 

 
For your deep water zone (water depth about 40 cm to 100 cm / 16 to 40 inches) we suggest floating pond plants like Eichhornia and Hydrocleys. Most popular are various kinds of water lilies that are available in numerous colours. (Flowering Plant Picture | Tropical Plant Photos) Plant these floating pond plants in plant pots, to keep control over wild and excessive growth. This will also make any pond maintenance and plant care more easy and it will help during replanting or hibernating. The floating leaves of water lilies provide shadow to fish and other pond life; goldfish like to hide under the foliage. Water lilies do not develop next to fountains and waterfalls.
 

Aquatic Plant-Zones and common Fishpond Plants