Aquatic Plants

There are many aquatic plants available that look great and can help add to the overall health of a garden or backyard pond. Most of these plants fall into the category of floating plants. Although grasses and other pond floor dwelling vegetation can help add to the health of fish and the other pond plants, the ones on the surface are the plants you are going to see and enjoy the most.

Aquatic Plants in a Nutshell

Aquatic plants aren't just for looks. They serve an important role in the ecological health of a garden pond by oxygenating the water, absorbing impurities, and providing fish with a source of food. Floating plants such as water hyacinths and water lettuce are the most useful for this purpose. Anacharis grass also serves a useful role in oxygenating water. Such vegetation is a basic necessity and should be the first added to a pond.

Just for Looks

Other plants are more beautiful and will do more to add to the cosmetic appearance of a pond. Water lilies, although not as useful as some plants, will at least help add shade and shelter to the bottom of a pool, giving fish a nice place to hide. Their roots also consume dead plant matter and animal waste as well.

Bog plants like papyrus, cattail, and iris are pretty much purely used for appearance, doing very little to add to the overall ecological health of a pool. They do provide a nice home for frogs and salamanders, if these kinds of animals are something you want to add to a pond. Other than that, the importance of bog plants lies primarily in their beauty.