A water plant, also known as an aquatic plant, is a type of foliage that either grows in the water rooted in mud or the marshy bog area of a pond. It also can grow in the water with the root in soil but the top of the plant floating above the water line.
photo credit: La Citta Vita

There are many varieties of water plants. A few of them include the water lily, lotus, duckweed, water iris, hornwort, golden club and water pimpernel. Each water plant has its own specific growing needs and preferred climate, but one thing they all have in common is that they must grow in water. Water plants grow in lakes and streams, shallow ponds, swamps or bogs or just near a river where the soil remains damp and wet.

There are also floating water plants and underwater plants. The floating plants add beauty to a pond and offer shade and food to fish and other aquatic animals. Underwater plants clean and purify the air keeping a pond healthier.

To add plants to your backyard pond or water area, prepare a loamy soil by mixing up a blend of 1 part manure, 1 part sand and 1 part ground clay. You can use clean kitty litter if clay is not available. Use plastic basket to plant the water plants in. A 4-inch by 4-inch basket is a good size, but the plants may determine if you want a larger basket.

Once the plants are planted in the basket it will be time to submerge them in the pond or water. Depending on the plant you may want to sit the plants on cement blocks or rocks to vary the height of the plants.

To choose water plants its best to go to a greenhouse or business that supplies water plants. They will give you the necessary information and advice for what plants will grow in your area. Some water plants will over-winter in cold climates, some only grow to a zone 6 or seven and some will require that you bring them in for the winter. If you don’t want to remove and store plants its best to make sure you plants will survive you coldest months.

Water lilies

Water lilies are one of the more popular and well know water plants. To prepare the water lily, plant in a plastic basket filled with loamy soil. Bury the roots in the soil but make sure to leave the flower uncovered. Next cover the soil with pea gravel. Soak the soil with water to prepare the plant for its new home and to settle the plant and soil mix.

Place the basket in a sunny pond 18 inches deep. You will want to bury the plastic basket under the mud to hold the plant down. Water lilies grow well in freezing temperatures making this a plant that is adaptable to most climates.
photo credit: hot_bake

Water fringe

Water fringe or water snowflake lily-like flower are an example of a plant that should be removed from a pond during cold winters. Plant the water fringe in 6-inch-deep mud after planting the roots in a loamy soil-filled basket.

There are many water plants that you can choose from and they all have their own beauty, purpose and needs. With careful selection you can add plants to you pond area that enhance the water garden area but match you needs for pond care and maintenance.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 14th, 2009 at 11:12 am and is filed under water plants. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.