Flowers That Live in Water

Waterlilies

• The iconic plant you think of when you think of flowering water plants is the colorful waterlily. The large, flat, heart-shaped leaves are perfect for frogs and newts to crawl on, and the large, fragrant, dahlia-like flowers occur in many colors from white, to yellow, to blue, to hot pink. The waterlily is hardy enough to grow in Alaska and can overwinter in frozen winter ponds if the pot is in a deeper section of the pond -- 2 feet or deeper -- or planted into the bottom of natural ponds. Tropical waterlilies will need to overwinter indoors in a tub full of water kept above 60 degrees Fahrenheit, or warmer, depending on the cultivar. In time, lilies will fill any area they have access to, so you should restrict them to contained areas.

Cannas

• Cannas don't have to grow in water, but they thrive in ponds. They have large, brilliantly colored flowers, and some varieties have highly colored leaves with streaks of red, yellow and green. Cannas will flower for a long time, and you can encourage blooming by cutting back spent stalks. Cannas prefer full sun and rich soil. Use clay when potting for a pond, as clay is high in nutrients and holds together well in water, although it may discolor the water when first placed in the pond. In the fall, wait until the leaves die back, then lift the pot and store it where it won't freeze.

Bog Plants

• Flowering plants that naturally live in bogs easily adapt to ponds. Pitcher plants live in bogs and have cupped green to red flowers that capture insects for additional nutrition. Marsh marigolds have yellow buttercup-like flowers. Forget-me-not has a cloud of small pale-blue flowers. Water Iris, another bog plant, has medium-sized, white to blue flowers. Other iris, such as blue flag, yellow flag, and the Siberian irises can also flourish in water. Lizard's tail has a spike of white flowers.

Garden Favorites

• Many garden flowers can adapt to watery habitats. The great blue lobelia, a 2- to 3-foot plant with 1-inch deep blue flowers, normally grows in shady, damp gardens but can grow in shallow water as well. Cardinal flower, another tall plant, has deep red blooms and does well in wet locations. Rose mallow is a hibiscus that also grows in water, producing large, open flowers with distinct anthers. You generally think of astilbe as a shade garden plant but it does well in shallow water; it produces feathery flowers in shades of red, pink, and white.