Water plants for ponds vary in their structure and benefits they provide. Some water plants for ponds have roots floating in water, while others have their roots submerged in water.
These water plants in ponds help to reduce the blue green algae, amount of contamination in pond water and help to protect the plants and animals by providing shelter and essential nutrients.
The water plants in ponds also regulate the water temperature thus maintaining the pond ecosystem.
There are many types of Floating pond plants. Important among them are as follows:
Water Lilies: Water Lilies are floating-leaved plants with underwater roots and long, flexible stems growing up toward the light. They require conditions such as relatively calm water and full sun to thrive. They are good at absorbing oily substances from water, which are often the hardest ones to eliminate.
Water hyacinth: A fast-growing plant, water hyacinth can remove a range of impurities from the pond, from nutrients to heavy metals and organic compounds. It is regarded as an ideal choice for wastewater treatment.
Duckweed: The duckweed plant is anchored in its place with a root system. Its mat-like leaves prevent the spread of algae in the pond. Additionally, it absorbs heavy metals, phosphates, and nitrates, making it an effective natural filter.
Bulrushes: Bulrushes make an excellent water purifier as they are capable of removing contaminants like oil, bacteria, nutrients, and organic from ponds. The plant is hardy and versatile, so it does not require much effort to grow and maintain.
Water lettuce: Water lettuce is another popular option for pond remediation as it can clean the decomposition byproducts and reduce the growth of algae by blocking sunlight in the water. It even deprives the algae of nutrients to retard its growth.
Creeping jenny : Creeping jenny grows underwater and thrives in ponds, lakes, streams, and bogs. It removes toxic elements from water and leaves it clean and clear.
Pickerel plant: Pickerel plant is a marginal or shallow water plant that serves effective filtration with its massive root system. Besides keeping the pond water clean and contaminant-free, it enhances the aesthetic appeal of the area.
Horsetail reed: Horsetail reed is beneficial for aquatic ecosystems as the submerged stem of the plant serves as habitats for tiny aquatic organisms. At the same time, the debris from decaying plants offer a food source for these organisms. It is also good for filtering water.
Mosaic pond plant: The mosaic plant is another good one for cleaning water bodies. While the plant floats on the surface, its roots reach the bottom of the pond and absorb excess nutrients and contaminants from the water and soil.
Blue iris: Another plant that serves both aesthetics and functionality is the blue iris. It adds to the beauty of the pond and eliminates the toxins from the water, making it an ideal choice.
Taro pond plants: Taro plants actively remove nutrients, organic matter, and toxic pollutants from the water and soil surrounding their root systems. It can lower the nitrate and phosphate concentrations in water bodies.
Floating gardens can go a long way in cleaning water in ponds and lakes. These are small artificial platforms made of aquatic emergent plants growing in water. The roots of these plants spread through the platform and reach deep to create dense columns of roots over a large surface area. Besides absorbing nutrients and contaminants, the plant roots offer a safe space for microbes to grow. The microbes form a slimy layer of biofilm, which does the majority of nutrient uptake.
Choosing the right water plant for ponds can be a tough call, specifically when one wants to do it for the purpose of pollution removal . It helps to research first, then plan and finally plant.
While there is no tried and tested rule for plant selection, the following factors make it easy to decide on which plants to select.
