The 6 Most Popular Pond Plants for Your Backyard Pond
Read on to discover the 6 most popular pond plants for your pond.
27/11/2020
You will be surprised to find that many pond owners don’t make them for fish, but rather for water plants. Plants ponds are an alternative to the normal kind of gardening without the hustle of having to deal with dirt and weeds. Water plants do not need any help as they can do fine on their own. Having a plant pond in your garden can add that aesthetic touch that your compound may be lacking.
Most pond plants grow on their own, but you can also plant specific ones if you want. With unlimited choices out there, the following are some of the best pond plants for your consideration.
Water Lettuce
This is a very popular floating pond plant that adds a decorative touch to the pond with a unique growing pattern that resembles that of the normal lettuce. It has long roots that go down all the way to the bottom, providing some much-needed refuge for fish and other small animals. The plant has also been known to aid in water filtration by getting rid of harmful bacteria.
Water lettuce does well in warm climates; if you live in areas that experience extreme winters, then there is a possibility they will die out once the cold sets in.
Water Hyacinth
This is the most common and widespread water plant that does very well in the wild, with the ability to even colonize huge lakes. It features colorful purple flowers that look good on any type of plant pond. It is easy to grow and has one of the fastest-growing rates of any water plant. However, water hyacinth spreads very quickly; you have to thin the population once in a while to stop them from taking over the whole pond.
Salvinia natans
The Salvinia natans is another water creeper that grows very fast and has leaves that form a very beautiful mosaic pattern over the surface of the water. Allow it to spread anymore, and you will soon have a pond that looks like it has a green carpet you can walk on. Another benefit of growing this plant is that koi fish love feeding on its spongy leaves. With a perfect surface cover, the Salvinia natans provide the perfect refuge for small fish and frogs from being attacked by external predators.
Eelgrass
This is a submerged aquatic plant that does very well in freshwater ponds and requires little to no care. It grows into the soil at the bottom of the pond and multiplies very quickly, covering the whole area in a field of green. If the pond is shallow enough and the water clear, the eelgrass will give the impression of a mini-grassland under the water. It provides very good hiding places for fish as well as providing the surface area for beneficial bacteria to grow.
Pickerelweed
Pickerelweed is an emergent water plant that spots beautiful purple flowers that turn the pond into a botanical sea in the summer. They do well in shallow waters and can be grown in mini-ponds too. They are easy to grow and have tender roots that provide both food and shelter for some fish species. The taller it grows the more beneficial it becomes as it provides shade for other plants and animals when the sun becomes too hot in the summer. This helps regulate the pond temperatures.
Horsetail
Another common p[ond plant that you’d never miss in any pond you visit. It has a bamboo appearance with nodes all through the entire length making them look like green sticks. Horsetail is a hardy plant that can withstand extremely cold temperatures. Another special trait exhibited by the plant is its fast growth, and if left unchecked can quickly take over the whole pond. Thinning is recommended every now and then. Another viable option would be to grow them in a separate part of the point, maybe inside a pot.
Benefits of Keeping Pond Plants
Having pond plants goes beyond the superficial need for making the landscape look good. Most times, they end up serving critical roles in the pond ecosystem. The following are some of the benefits of keeping water plants in your backyard pond.
- They keep algae growth in check by cutting the supply of light and nutrients, the two things that algae need to grow. Most of these plants shield the water from direct sunlight and, in the process, cut down the amount of light needed by algae. This slows down their growth significantly.
- They provide the much-needed oxygen that is hard to come by in stagnant water ponds. Some fast growers like Hornworts absorb huge amounts of carbon dioxide given off by the animals in the water, and in exchange, they release generous amounts of oxygen. This provides the fish with quality oxygen throughout, saving you the need to install air pumps.
- They act as food sources for most of the pond animals. Goldfish and koi, for example, love supplementing their diet with green plants, and when they live in a plant pond, this becomes their daily food saving you the cost of having to purchase it.
Conclusion
Not all pond plants are beneficial; you have to be careful about the types you introduce into your pond. Some grow too fast and end up taking over all the space needed by the fish. Always go for the types that are easy to control. You will also need to invest in efficient pond filter media like a ceramic filter material, activated carbon or a UV sterilizer to ensure the fish have the cleanest of environments to live in.