Pond Plants that help Provide Some Shade

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  Pond plants have many benefits for your pond providing an important role in providing filtration, protection for fish and adding much needed shade from the hot sun and harsh summer heat. Plants can help keep the water a bit cooler by acting as a buffer from the sunlight by either floating on the water surface or taller varieties that may provide some shade.

There are 4 main types of plants that can provide some shade in your pond- floating plants, waterlilies, short marginals and tall marginals.

Blooming Water Hyacinths floating next to tiny Fairy Moss on the water surface

Floating plants freely float on the surface with their roots growing submerged in the water. Water Hyacinths and Water Lettuce are the most commonly used “floaters” known for their amazing filtration benefits. As the weather warms they will multiply quickly producing offspring once they get going. Fairy Moss (Azolla) and Duckweed are tiny floating plants that can also provide quick coverage on the water surface and sometimes fish like to eat it. Most floaters are very fast growing so keep an eye on them so that they don’t overgrow their space. Thin out excessive plants by physically removing them, you can compost them  or use it as fodder for fowl & other animals.    Remove tropical floaters before the die in late fall.

Bernice Ikins Pink Waterlily

Waterlilies grow completely submerged 1’-2’ or more with their leaves floating on the surface. They range in leaf size and spread so choose the one that best suits your pond size and depth. Small or dwarf waterlilies grow 1-3’, medium 2-4’ and large over4’ spread over the water’s surface. Other plants like variegated water clover or other “lily-like” plants can grow quickly providing shade with some being very aggressive growers.

A mixture of different hardy Waterlilies, Perry's Baby Red are the shown blooming

Short Marginal Plants are what I call “aquatic water cover” that grow similarly to ground covers that hug the land but on the water surface instead. Many of these plants have attractive foliage and colorful flowers. These plants can grow up to 6” tall with roots submerged in 1”-3” of water. Examples: Blue Moneywort (lindernia grandifolia, Chameleon Plant (Houttuynea spp.),  Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia spp.), and Water Forget-me-not (Myosotis palustris).

Water Forget-Me-Not

Tall Marginal Plants are plants that grow on the edges of ponds up to 1’ or taller in 3”-4” of water or deeper for taller plants. There is a huge variety of plants to choose from that are grasses or grass-like plants, Iris & Cannas with vibrant blooms & lush foliage and many others with triangular-shaped foliage like Pickerel Rush, Calla Lily or Lizard’s tail.

Stop by our shop, and check out our current selections.

We can also special order plants for you depending upon availability. Please contact our pond plant specialist at Kerri.B@natureperfect.net for more details.