Recommended Aquatic Plants

• Sagittaria spp.

  Sagittaria latifolia arrowhead

  

  Sagittaria montevidensis arrowhead
  Sagittaria lancifolia white swan, red swan

  Pond Margin or Bog . Striking arrow-shaped leaves and white flowers. Grows in moist soil or water 6 inches or more deep. S. latifolia grows 12 to 20 inches; S. montevidensis to 4 feet. Also try S. lancifolia (white swan or red swan) for a specimen plant with green or red stems and a 7-foot flower spike.

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• Mimulus aquatics

  

  Mimulus guttatus common yellow monkeyflower

  Pond Margin or Bog. Annual or perennial. Fills out a 4 feet x 4 feet space in spring and summer. May die back then return the next year. Yellow flowers with reddish spots resemble snapdragons. Hummingbirds like it; deer don't. Also try M. cardinalis for red flowers.

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• Nuphar polysepalum

  

  Nuphar polysepala yellow pondlily

  Floating or Rooted Emergent Plants. A native plant with a dramatic yellow flower and round leaves up to a foot in diameter. Foliage is submerged in winter and emerges in spring. May take more effort to find for sale.

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• Polygonum amphibium

  

  Polygonum amphibium var. stipulaceum water smartweed

  Submerged Plants. A versatile, creeping plant that does well in water depths ranging from moist soil to 4 feet of water over the crown. Long, narrow, floating leaves, and bright-pink flowers.

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• Pontedaria cordata

  

  Pontedaria cordata pickerel weed

  Pond Margins. Heart-shaped leaves surround dramatic flower spikes. Excellent filtration ability. Place in containers in 1 foot of water. 3 to 4 feet tall, 2 to 2 1/2 feet wide.

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• Iris ensata

  

  Iris ensata 'Variegata' Japanese iris

  Pond Margin or Bog

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• Iris laevigata

  

  Iris laevigata and cultivars laevigata iris

  Pond Margin or Bog. A true water-loving iris that will do well in 6 inches of water. Flowers in white, purple, lavender, and pink. Yellow-blooming varieties are available, but rare. Leaves to 18 inches tall.

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• Iris missouriensis

  

  Iris missouriensis, I. longipetala western blue flag iris

  Pond Margins. A native iris with flowers ranging from white to blue to lavender. Leaves to 2 feet tall. Likes open, sunny, moist areas. Smaller in scale than yellowflag iris.

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• Iris sibirica

  

  Iris sibirica and hybrids Siberian iris

  Pond Margin or Bog.

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• Juncus effusus

  Juncus effusus common rush
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• Ligularia wilsoniana

  

  Ligularia wilsoniana Wilson's ligularia

  Pond Margin or Bog. A tall and showy wetland perennial with spikes of bright yellow, daisy-like flowers. Stems grow to six feet tall.

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• Lobelia spp

  

  Lobelia cardinalis lobelia
  Lobelia fulgens lobelia
  Lobelia siphilica lobelia

  Pond Margin Plants. A spectacular blooming bog plant. Tubular flowers resemble honeysuckle or salvia and attract hummingbirds. L. cardinalis and L. fulgens to 6 feet with red flowers; L. siphilica grows 2 to 3 feet with blue flowers.

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• Lysochiton americanum

  

  Lysochiton americanum yellow skunk cabbage

  Pond Margin or Bog

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• Marsilea spp.

  Marsilea spp. water clover

  Floating or Rooted Emergent Plants.

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• Elodea canadensis

  

  Elodea canadensis waterweed

  Submerged Plants. One of the best oxygenating plants. Has dark green leaves and provides food and shelter for fish. Dies back in winter. Grows best in fine sand but may need to be controlled in small ponds. (Sometimes also sold under the name anacharis.)

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• Brasenia schreberi

  

  Brasenia schreberi watershield

  Floating or Rooted Emergent Plants.

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• Ceratophyllum demersum

  

  Ceratophyllum demersum coontail

  Submerged Plants. A rootless, deciduous perennial with slender stems and forked leaves. Tolerates shade and hard water. Good oxygenator.

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• Chondropetalum aquatics

  

  Chondropetalum tectorum Cape thatching reed
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• Cornus sericea

  

  Cornus sericea redtwig dogwood

  

  Cornus sericea 'Flaviramea' yellowtwig dogwood

  Pond Margin or Bog. Brilliant red or yellow foliage and colorful winter twigs. Provide good screens where water is present. to 8 feet tall and 10 feet wide. Cut roots to control spread.

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• Alisma plantago-aquatica

  

  Alisma plantago-aquatica common waterplantain

  Pond Margin or Bog. Herbaceous perennial with flowers heads arranged in whorls of white, pink, or lavender. Blooms form a pyramid-like shape. Suitable for medium to large ponds, but may overwhelm a small one. 12 to 36 inches tall and up to 18 inches spread.

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• Aponogeton distachyon

  

  Aponogeton distachyon cape pondweed

  Floating or Rooted Emergent Plants. Crisp white flowers with a vanilla scent are held on the water surface. Prefers cool water. May overwhelm a small pond.

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• Azolla filiculoides

  

  Azolla filiculoides Pacific mosquito fern, fairy fern

  Floating or Rooted Emergent Plants. Tiny, free-floating perennial fern. Excellent pond cover for fish and other wildlife. Turns reddish-purple in the fall. To 1/2 inch high, with a spreading habit. May overwhelm a small pond.

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• Baccharis salicifolia

  Baccharis salicifolia mulefat

  Pond Margin or Bog.

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• Bambusa aquatics

  

  Bambusa multiplex 'Alphonso-Karr' 'Alphonso-Karr' bamboo

  

  Bambusa multiplex 'Golden Goddess' 'Golden Goddess' bamboo

  

  Bambusa multiplex bamboo (clumping species only)

  Pond Margin or Bog. Useful as a hedge or screen. Rhizomes of clumping species stay close to the plant and will not invade surrounding soil. Height varies by cultivar, up to 35 feet. Do not plant running bamboos, which spread aggressively.

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