Introducing water to a garden brings lots of benefits, and by choosing the best pond plants, you can create a precious habitat that is both beautiful to look at and wildlife-friendly.
You should aim to have about two-thirds of your pond planted. This could include a mixture of plants: some which thrive at the pond’s edges, species which prefer the shallows, as well as deeper-water plants and those that float on the surface.
With a bit of knowledge, it is possible to create a magical garden pond idea, however large or small your water feature might be. Keeping reading for our edit of the best pond plants and how to care for them.
Article continues below1. Yellow flag iris (iris pseudacorus)
Yellow flag iris are marginal plants that work best if you have a larger pond in your garden design. They are easy to grow and will provide lots of buttery yellow flowers from late spring. You should divide the rhizomes every two years after the plant finishes flowering in June.
Where to buy yellow flag iris:
2. Water forget-me-not (myosotis scorpioides)
Water forget-me-not is another easy-to-grow plant for pond margins. It has clusters of tiny blue flowers with yellow centres that bloom on low-growing foliage, helping to hide unsightly pond liners and soften hard lines.
It is best grown in water no deeper than 5cm, and the flowering time is from May to September.
Where to buy water forget-me-not:
3. Frogbit (hydrocharis morsus-ranae)
Frogbit is an attractive floating plant with rounded leaves and small white flowers, each with a yellow spot on its petals. It looks a bit like water lilies, and needs to be thinned regularly to prevent it from taking over the water.
If you're keen to attract biodiversity to your garden, frogbit is helpful for providing shade for pond-dwelling creatures.
Where to buy frogbit:
4. Waterlily (nymphaeaceae)
A classic choice for your best pond plants list, and surely one of the prettiest floating water plants, waterlilies are available in red, yellow, pink, and white. According to Dan Reep, aquatics buyer at Squires Garden Centres, “they need lots of sun and will thrive if fed with aquatic plant food for ponds.”
He advises that waterlilies dislike having running or splashing water on their pads, so consider their placement if you’re combining them with other water feature ideas, such as a small fountain. Some varieties of waterlily may grow too large for smaller ponds, so check the dimensions carefully before choosing one.
Where to buy waterlilies:
5. Spiked water milfoil (myriophyllum spicatum)
The spiked water milfoil is an oxygenating plant that can grow in deep water and remains submerged at all times. As well as contributing to healthy pond water, it provides a habitat for tadpoles and invertebrates.
It has red foliage and is a fast grower, thriving at depths from 30cm to 450cm and preferring full sun or partial shade.
Where to buy spiked water milfoil:
6. Marsh marigold (caltha palustris)
Also known as kingcup, marsh marigold is an attractive marginal plant with vivid buttercup-like flowers on upright stems. This pond plant will attract bees, hoverflies, and butterflies, making it a great choice if you want to create an eco-friendly garden.
It is happy in wet mud or in up to 10cm of water above the plant crown, and should be sited in a sunny spot inside a basket to contain its growth.
Where to buy marsh marigold:
7. Water crowfoot (ranunculus aquatilis)
Water crowfoot is a very effective oxygenator, with leaves that grow both under and above the water. From April to June, it produces masses of pretty, small white and yellow flowers on mats of leaves, along with feathery fronds that grow beneath the surface. If you decide to give it a go, plant it at a depth of 15 to 60cm.
Where to buy water crowfoot:
8. Golden club (orontium aquaticum)
The golden club is a sculptural, deep-water perennial plant with blue-green floating leaves and white pencil-shaped stalks with yellow tips in spring. This pond plant is valuable for keeping the water clear.
It should be planted in a large pond basket to contain its growth, and the flowers should be cut back if they become overgrown. It thrives at depths of around 40cm and in full sun.
Where to buy golden club:
9. Water smartweed (amphibious bistort)
Water smartweed has dark green floating leaves and upright, pink, bottle-brush-shaped flowers on sturdy stems up to 30cm tall. They bloom from midsummer to autumn and, once established, grow quickly and vigorously, thriving in water depths of up to 80cm.
Where to buy water smartweed:
10. Scarlet monkey flower (mimulus cardinalis)
Scarlet monkey flower has masses of tubular, orange-red flowers that bloom from summer to late autumn. It thrives in sunny conditions and is one of the easiest plants to grow in your garden pond.
If it becomes too large, trim it back during the growing season or remove the seed heads to encourage more flowers.
Where to buy scarlet monkey flower:
FAQs
When should you plant pond plants?
According to the RHS, the ideal time to plant the best pond plants is between mid-spring and early summer, when the water is warming up and plants are more likely to establish well.
How do I plant pond plants?
In small ponds, plants should ideally be grown in containers to stop them from growing too large and taking over the space. These containers are often called aquatic baskets and have lattice work sides to allows water, air, and other gases to flow freely.
- Line the containers with a porous fabric, such as hessian, and use a medium to heavy loam compost. The RHS advises that garden soil can be used, so long as it is free from fertilisers and herbicides. Specialist aquatic compost is available from Amazon or garden centres.
- Add a few heavy pebbles to stop the containers from floating, and part fill with compost.
- Plants should be sunk to the depth of their original container, unless they are rhizomes, in which case they should peek just over the surface of the soil. Firm in well.
- Some oxygenating plants can simply be dropped into the water.
Keep your pond plants under control with these three-litre pots, available in square, kidney, and round shapes.
How many oxygenating plants do I need for my pond?
In a new pond, a good guide is to aim for adding three bunches of oxygenating plants per square metre.
What sort of wildlife will my pond plants attract?
According to Dan Reep, "ponds attract wildlife into your garden very quickly, and provide great habitats for wildlife, such as fish, amphibians and invertebrates. Submerged plants produce oxygen and provide shade for aquatic life, such as newts and frogs." It will also attract birds to drink and bathe throughout the year.
What are the best pond plants for a small pond?
Dwarf waterlilies and water hyacinths are both floating plants that serve as excellent choices for small ponds. Corkscrew rush is an attractive, grassy marginal that remains manageable, while creeping jenny softens edges with a mat of foliage without exceeding 7cm in height.
For a submerged option, try anacharis, which consists of long stems with feathery foliage.
What are the different type of pond plants?
There are five main types of aquatic plants, so bear this in mind if you're learning how to build a garden pond and want to make sure you're choosing the best plants for your design. It's a good idea to have a mix of different varieties.
- Bog plants are moisture-loving plants which sit at the perimeter of the pond. They are not strictly defined as aquatic plants, but they do like to have permanently wet roots, and they are valuable in helping to define the shape of a pond. They are usually planted at a depth of 0-15cm.
- Marginal plants grow in shallow water, rising up above it. Their roots need to be completely underwater. The planting depth is 0-15cm.
- Deep marginal plants will emerge and flower above the water. Their planting depth is 15-40cm.
- Deep water and oxygenating plants are crucial for a healthy pond. They might float on top of the water, stick out slightly, or be completely submerged. "They are very valuable as they absorb nutrients from the water which can prevent nuisance algae from growing, keeping your water clean and clear," explains Dan Reep. The planting depth is over 40cm.
- Floating plants sit on the surface of the pond. Their roots hang in the water. They are generally low maintenance and will provide shade for fish, and a handy place for pond wildlife to sit.
Putting together your selection of the plants for ponds is a bit like choosing a regular border design. It is always a good idea to mix textures, leaf sizes and foliage tones and shapes for variety, whilst including the all-important oxygenators in the water.
"If you have a pond then you really should have pond plants," concludes Dan Reep. "They help create and maintain a healthy, balanced ecosystem, and they play a large role in keeping your pond in good condition."
For more expert advice, read our guide on the latest garden trends or how to zone a garden.
The original version of this article previously appeared on Gardeningetc, a sister website to Homebuilding & Renovating.
