Pond-Safe Plants

Water Hyacinth

• The water hyacinth is an excellent, pond-safe plant for most zones. They absorb virtually all of their nutrients from the pond, and, in so doing, deprive algae of sunlight for reproduction by shading the water. Their roots are fish-safe and will, in fact, grow rapidly enough to provide a continuing source of food for your fish, which enjoy munching on the submerged root bunches.The water hyacinth can become an invasive species in areas with mild winters, so check with your local Department of Environmental Protection before adding this plant to your water garden.

Water Lilies

• Water lilies are an excellent choice for a pond-safe plant. They help keep your pond clean by feeding on dissolved plant material and fish waste. They require some soil for their roots, so a submerged terracotta planter with some pond soil will help them thrive. They produce very little foliage, a few floating lily pads, and floating yellow or white flowers, so they will not clog mechanical pond filters of skimmers. In addition, they help keep the pond water temperature low and provide hiding spots for your fish at feeding time.

Water Lettuce

• Water lettuce is a free-floating plant that resembles water hyacinth. It also shares an invasive title with hyacinth in much of the southern United States, so check with your Department of Environmental Protection before placing this plant in your pond as well. If, however, you live in a climate with a cold enough winter to eradicate this fast-growing aquatic plant, it is a great way to quickly cover your pond. Water lettuce grows extremely rapidly, and one plant can grow to cover a small or medium sized pond inside of a month. It is safe for fish, but care must be taken to keep it from growing into pond skimmers and filters.

Marginal Plants

• Marginal plants are plants that require some soil but will grow in a water environment. The pickerel rush is an example of a marginal plant that makes a great addition to a pond of a sufficient size to accommodate it. A pickerel rush requires about a 5-gallon bucket worth of pond soil and can be planted in a pot and submerged in your water garden. Marginal plants such as the rush help oxygenate the water as well as provide shade for your pond and a hiding place for fish.