Types of Water Plants

Water plants or aquatic plants can be grouped into various categories according to where they grow around a pond. Two types of plants are essential to every water garden if you want to keep the water clean naturally: floating and submerged. The other three categories are purely decorative and can be used in any proportion that enhances the design of your garden.

BOG PLANTS

Plants that love moisture but won’t grow with their roots sitting in water can be grown in a bog. A bog, or marsh, can be created just outside your pond or lake to act as a natural filtration system or can simply be used as a garden. Bogs are a great way to help your water feature look more natural and help your water feature blend into your surrounding landscape. Bogs also create a shelter for wildlife such as frogs and small insects.

Bog plants include those that grow in a marsh, such as aquatic grasses, ferns, and hostas, as well as many water-loving plants that are grown in other parts of your garden including lobelia, primrose, bamboo, and calla lilies.

MARGINAL PLANTS

Called marginal because they thrive around the pond or lake’s edges, this group of plants likes their roots submerged underwater but needs their stems, leaves and flowers above the surface. Most prefer several inches of water above their crowns. With their wide range of heights, textures, and blossom habits, they provide a natural transition from the border into the body of water. Marginal plants are usually grown on shelves dug into the water feature’s perimeter. A wide shelf can also provide a measure of safety for children, who might accidentally fall into the water. Some of the most popular marginal plants include Japanese iris, cattail, papyrus, rush, and water cana. Several trees also grow in water, providing an interesting sculptural element to the edge of the water feature. These include the willow and the swamp cyprus. However, trees demand more maintenance as their falling leaves need to be cleared from the water regularly.

FREE-FLOATING PLANTS

Free floating plants get their nutrients straight form the water and do not require soil to grow. Their roots act as natural filters that remove unwanted toxins from the water. Most free floating plants can be very invasive, especially in warmer climates, and need to be thinned out periodically. Some popular free floating plants include the water hyacinth and non-invasive water lettuce.

FLOATING LEAF PLANTS

Plants that grow with their leaves floating on the surface and their roots in the soil at a deeper level of the water are categorized as floating leaf plants. Floating leaf plants minimize algae growth by shading the water and keeping it cool. Water lilies and lotuses are perfect examples of floating leaf plants. There is a wide variety of lilies that display a rainbow of different colors, scents and petal shapes. Water gardens are often created just for the water lily and lotus. Water gardeners enjoy hunting for different exotic varieties. Hardy water lilies are the easiest plant in this category to grow. Cup or star shaped blossoms open during the daylight hours. Their colors include red, pink, white, yellow, salmon, and changeable. They will bloom continually from summer through autumn and are dormant in the winter. Tropical water lilies, which are prized for their colors and profuse blossoms, must be treated as annuals in non-tropical climates or brought indoors in winter. They grow best at temperatures above 70 degrees. Tropical water lilies differ from the hardy water lily in that they blossom on stems above the water and include both day and night bloomers. They come in the same colors as the hardy water lily as well as blue and purple.

Lotuses like hot temperatures to bloom – above 80 degrees – but will survive cold winters as long as the roots are kept away from ice. Lotus leaves grow several inches above the water surface and their single or double blossoms can be up to 10 inches wide.

OXYGENATING PLANTS

Also known as submerged plants, these non-bloomers grow entirely below the water surface. They are critical to the water garden’s ecosystem as they reduce algae by taking up carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen to other plants and fish. These plants oxygenate the water during daylight hours, when photosynthesis occurs, but use up oxygen and create carbon dioxide during the night. Maintaining the proper number of oxygenating plants in a pond or lake is essential to the health of the water. If you have too few, algae will multiply. If you have too many, other decorative plants and fish will not be able to survive. Generally, one bunch per square foot of water surface is considered sufficient.

Oxygenating plants will provide a natural hiding and spawning place for fish. Most of them will also become food for fish, which means their growth will be controlled if you have a proper balance of fish and plants in your pond or lake.

San Diego Ponds also has a green thumb. Use San Diego Ponds to create your dream water garden. Check out our photo gallery on our website for ideas. San Diego Ponds offers free consultations and estemates.