Water Garden Plants

Looking for a way to soften the rocky edges of your pond? Want to add some color and attract beautiful wildlife? Try adding Water Garden Plants! While many people have their own favorite collection of pond plants, there may still be some varieties that you haven’t tried yet. We invite you to consider the following list of popular aquatic pond plants that make a perfect addition to any pond!

1. Mosaic Pond Plant

Characterized by its beautiful mosaics in shades of red and green, the Mosaic Plant does wonderfully in calm, still water during the hot summer months. The mosaics form rosettes that appear as if to “float” magnificently on the water’s surface. This provides a place for your finned friends to hide underneath! This truly tropical plant looks its best when planted along the edge of a pond or in a container garden.

2. Waterlilies

Waterlilies are considered by many to be the “jewels” of the pond. They are stunning creatures that spread across the water’s surface, filling it with color while subsequently keeping the pond and its creatures safe and healthy. Their beautiful flower is their staple feature and can bloom in all colors ranging from red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet, white, and a number of shades in between.

3. Blue Iris

The Blue Iris is one of the easiest and strikingly beautiful plants you can add to your water garden. Among the first Water Garden Plants to bloom in the spring, their flowers are breathtaking, with shades ranging from pale blue to purple. Looking for something unique? Aquatic irises comprise such a large and diverse group – there are literally hundreds, if not thousands of cultivated and natural hybrids. Some irises have been known to grow up to four feet tall!

4. Taro Pond Plants

Nicknamed “elephant ear” due to its broad leaves, Taro is an emergent plant that is natural to tropical regions. Although the plant prefers warmer climates, those in colder regions can bring the plant inside during extreme cold. Once indoors, place it near a sunny window and then transfer Taro back out to your pond when summer arrives. This impressive, leafy water lover grows to about 48″ and always makes a striking appearance in the water garden.

5. Horsetail Reed

Characterized by its deep-green, jointed stems and slender stalks that resemble bamboo, Horsetail Reed provides a striking architectural presence in your pond. This W ater Garden Plantlooks best in highly stylized water gardens or at the edge of ponds. It’s a fast spreader so you’ll want to keep this plant contained and thin the plant in the summer. In the fall, cut the plant all the way down to the ground to keep the spores from spreading.

6. Cardinal Flower

Red Cardinal Flowers provide a lovely pop of color and add vertical interest to your water garden setting. Plant this pretty flower along the shallow edges of your pond and watch hummingbirds and butterflies flock to it. The deep burgundy blooms offset the vibrant red flowers and attractive green foliage. The leaves are up to eight inches long and the plant can grow as tall as three feet.

7. Creeping Jenny Water Garden Pond Plants

This low growing pond plant is often used as a ground cover and fares excellently when used in water gardening applications. Creeping Jenny plants feature round leaves that grow outwards, creating a beautiful cascading effect. Growing approximately two inches in height, it’s a great filler to soften rocky pond edges. Its bright leaves create a vivid contrast against the cool gray of wet stone. Tiny yellow flowers appear on the plant throughout summer, giving it added appeal.

8. Sweet Flag

The Sweet Flag is a friendly species ideal for containers and water gardens alike. Normally found in wetlands, the roots of a Sweet Flag are well-adjusted to sitting in shallow water, making it the perfect grass-like plant for your pond’s edge sections. The beautiful foliage is light green and highlighted with bright yellow stripes, remaining beautiful all season and sometimes through the winter. An all-around great plant that adds a bright, cheerful spot to any water feature!

Pickerel Water Garden Plant

This attractive plant bears blue spiked flowers from early summer well into fall. Closely related to grasses, Pickerel Plants grow in clumps with thick to flat stems. They make a great addition to any water garden due to their ease of care and hardiness. The blooms are long lasting and create a beautiful display when planted in masses.

Water Lettuce

Commonly found in slow moving waters, Water lettuce pond plants produce velvety, lime-green rosettes of leaves that look like little floating heads of lettuce. Super easy to grow, this plant floats on the surface of the water with its roots dangling below. In turn, these dangling roots serve as a safe haven for fish and directly absorb excess nutrients from the water, making them natural filters for any pond. Water lettuce does feature yellow flowers that bloom from late summer to early winter, but they are often hidden in the foliage. Waterlilies are available in both hardy and tropical varieties.