Enhance your water feature with some of these beautiful, water loving plants. By Robyn Rhudy Installing a water feature allows you to grow aquatic plants that otherwise could not survive in a typical landscape. We've compiled a list of great plants for your pond. Key: Common name; Latin name; tropical or hardy; native or not to temperate USA; floating, submerged, lily-like, or marginal; dwarf or moderate in size; spreads rapidly/invasive where hardy, or slower growing; flower color; bloom time (for my pond); edible or not. 1. Azolla, Azolla caroliniana, semi-tropical, native, floating, dwarf, spreads rapidly, no flowers, N/A, not edible 2. American frogbit, Limnobium spongia, hardy, native, floating, dwarf,slow growing, white, summer, not edible 3. Water hyacinth, Eichhornia crassipes, tropical, non-native, floating, moderate, extremely invasive where hardy, purple, summer, not edible 4. Water lettuce, Pistia stratoites, tropical, non-native, floating, moderate, extremely invasive where hardy, no flowers, N/A, not edible 5. Duckweed, Lemna minor, hardy, native, floating, dwarf, spreads rapidly, white (super tiny), summer, edible 6. Anacharis, Elodea canadensis, hardy, native, submerged, moderate, growth varies, white, summer, not edible (but fish love to eat it!) 7. Cabomba, Cabomba caroliniana, hardy, native, submerged, moderate, varies slow growing, white, summer, not edible 8. Hornwort, Ceratophyllum demersum, hardy, native, submerged, moderate, growth varies, white, summer, not edible 9. Blue bells, Ruellia squarrosa, tropical, not native, marginal, moderate, slow growing, blue, summer, not edible 10. Dwarf umbrella palm, Cyperus alternifolius, 'Gracilis', tropical, not native, marginal, dwarf, slow growing, brown, summer, not edible 11. Water celery, Oenanthe javanica, hardy, not native, marginal, moderate, extremely invasive where hardy, white, July and August, leaves edible 12. Blue flag iris, Iris versicolor, hardy, native, marginal, moderate, slow growing, blue, May, not edible 13. Arrowhead, Sagittaria latifolia, hardy, native, marginal, moderate, slow growing, white, summer, tubers edible 14. Arrow arum, Peltandra virginica, hardy, native, marginal, moderate, slow growing, yellow, summer, not edible 15. Bog bean, Menyanthes trifoliata, hardy, native, marginal, moderate, slow growing, white, spring, not edible 16. Dwarf cattail, Typha minima, hardy, not native, marginal, dwarf, slow growing (though the native Typha latifolia can take over a pond), brown, summer, edible 17. Water clover, many Marsilea species, hardy, not native, marginal, dwarf, varies, no flowers, N/A, not edible 18. Water forget-me-not, Myosotis scorpioides, hardy, native, marginal, dwarf, varies, blue, spring to fall, not edible 19. Golden club, Orontium aquaticum, hardy, native, marginal, dwarf, slow growing, yellow and white, spring, not edible 20. Lizard tail, Saururus cernuus, hardy, native, marginal, moderate, varies, white, June and July, not edible 21. Aquatic mint, Mentha aquatica, hardy, not native, marginal, dwarf, invasive, purple, summer, edible 22. Dwarf horsetail rush, Equisetum scirpoides, hardy, native, marginal, dwarf, slow growing, green, summer, not edible 23. Purple pickerel weed, Pontederia cordata, hardy, native, marginal, moderate, invasive in some areas, blue, summer, young leaves and seeds edible 24. Sweetflag, Acorus calamus, hardy, native, marginal, moderate, varies, green, summer, roots and young leaves edible Plus, we cannot forget (not following the key above): 1. Miniature water lilies, Nymphaea spp. many varieties, many colors, both hardy and tropical species 2. Miniature water lotuses, Nelumbo spp. many varieties, many colors, hardy; if done in tub ponds, best as a tub pond just for the lotus
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