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Water Plants

by Michael O'Brien

Few things can add as much color and variety to your backyard pond as water plants. But they're more than just beautiful. They're actually necessary to any healthy pond. Water plants promote beneficial bacteria growth, provide oxygen and aid in neutralization of nitrites and ammonia.

Water Plants: Choosing the Right Ones

Some of the easiest to care for are bog plants. They grow almost anywhere: in the pond, garden or a tub. Only the very bottom tips of the roots need to be in water. Some say, "They like their feet wet, but their ankles dry." The floating leaf variety provides bloom in ponds that are too shallow for water lilies.Visually, bog plants create a smooth transition from your water garden to the surrounding landscape, as they can grow right at the edge of the water.

Watch out for Tropicals

Tropical water lilies do not have a short day induced winter dormancy period which would enable them to survive cold weather. Winter's cold catches them unprepared and, in all but the warmest areas of the country, kills them.

Tropical plants will not do well in cold weather conditions. One way to prevent them from dying is to cover a pond during the winter. Otherwise, it's best only to plant them in areas where the temperature is warmer or more moderate.

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