Types of pond plants you can grow in your background pond

From both a functional and aesthetic point of view, pond plants are beneficial and essential if you want to make a more organic and natural view to your pond. Plantlife itself creates a more peaceful and natural look and habitat if you’re going to house some of them like dragonflies, coy, or even swans or ducks.

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Not only that, they help filter the water to avoid it being wrong and harmful for you and the animals, creating shade for the fish inside the pond, flowers for insects to pollinate, and oxygen. This is mainly because most pond plants are supposed to be set in the water, which makes it an excellent choice in terms of aesthetics.

Benefits of Pond Plants

Arguably one of the most useful things pond plants do is their capabilities in natural filtration. Pond plants can easily absorb particular concentrations, chemicals, and other substances that can be harmful to you and the animals living within the pond. Substances like metals, ammonium, phosphates, nitrates, and carbon dioxide.

Because of their ability to quickly soak up carbon dioxide, they can give back to the environment by releasing oxygen both in the air and in the water.

Pond plants could also serve as a natural competitor against algae that otherwise thrives from the nutrients found within the pond.

In terms of choosing the right plant that comes to terms with your aesthetic sense as well as the benefits it can give to the pond, there are many types to choose from. Each of them has its purpose and specific requirements to thrive in the pond naturally. Here are some of them.

Water Lettuce

Probably one of the most popular choices of pond plants is the water lettuce or scientifically known as Pistia stratiotes. Because of its decorative look and its ability to soak up nitrates, as well as the low maintenance it requires, a lot of pond owners opt for this pond plant. Not only does its long root filter the harmful substances in the water, but it can also serve as a habitat for frogs and fish alike.

However, they can proliferate, and you might have to remove a large quantity of them for them not to inhabit the pond fully to the point of overflowing.

If you are living in USDA zones 10, this is good, for it is the perfect climate for water lettuces to grow.

Aquatic Iris

Aquatic Irises have a very colorful combination of shades that goes from white, yellow, purple, to shades of blue and red, as well as having different shapes and sizes.

Also, they are in full bloom when summer comes around because they need a full sun or only part shade to blossom. The flowers themselves grow atop the long stalks of the plant, so they aren’t covered in the leaves. Not only that, but their appearance can also be used for flower arrangements that you can display at home.

Marginal Water Plants

Another excellent choice for pond plants is marginal water plants. Marginal water plants are placed inside plant pots where a small portion of the pot is submerged in the water while the bulk of the plant itself is exposed to the air above. Just like the other plants in this list, they provide a natural filtration system as well as giving your pond a more natural look that might go well with your aesthetic sense.

Probably the most significant disadvantage that marginal water plants have is they require shelves in your pond for them to remain elevated above the water.

If you don’t have one, then you may have to build one, although keep in mind that having a shallow shelf can be dangerous for the plants. The shallow shelves can’t keep away predators like raccoons that can stand in shallow waters.

Water Hyacinth

If you are looking for pastel colors in your pond, then water hyacinth might be just the plant for you. They are great for your pond because of the color they offer to the environment, which is similar to its distant cousin that lives in the terrestrial that also has more or less the same color. Also, because of their appearance, they can be made for flower arrangements that you can display in your home.

However, just like water lettuce, they are considered invasive. That means they grow quickly and rapidly in a considerable amount. Be prepared to cull some of them as they can overgrow and invade your pond fully.

Takeaway

The plants in this list are only some of the great additions you can add to your pond management. Not only are they lovely to look at, but they are also beneficial for the animals that coexist with them in the pond. Most of these plants have specific requirements that you have to follow for them to thrive naturally and comfortably in your pond, giving it more natural beauty.

Featured photo by Martijn Baudoin on Unsplash

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