Best Companion Plants for a Backyard Pond
Babbling water, happy songbirds, and flashy fish are all good reasons to create a backyard pond. But no garden water feature would be complete without the right foliage to go with it. We’d like to offer our suggestions for plants that offer the best backdrop to a relaxing pond.
Sweet flag (Acorus calamus) is a perennial grass that will grow from 24 to 36 inches tall and 18 to 24 inches wide. It spreads by rhizomes and grows slowly to form a dense ground cover. It thrives in full sun or partial shade and is not invasive. The foliage has a sweet fragrance and in late spring blooms small yellow-green flowers followed by tiny red berries that ripen in fall.
Blue flag is considered a wetland species, which means it does well planted near pond or lake edges, in water meadows, and near other water features. It can tolerate being in standing water that is less than 6 inches deep and can be completely submerged for a short time. Blue flag is a flowering herbaceous perennial plant that grows 4’31 in high.
Varigated yellow pond-lily (Nuphar lutea) is a North American aquatic plant with floating leaves. It goes by many names including brandy bottle, a reference to the fact that its flowers smell a bit like stale alcohol, and its fruits are shaped like bottles or vases. The Dutch province, Friesland, features Varigated yellow pond-lily leaves on its flag.
American white water-lily (Nymphaea odorata) is an aquatic flowering plant native to Central and North America. It is a common food for many species of birds and turtles. The shade American white water-lily casts over its pond habitats helps stifle algae growth, a side effect that is beneficial to most of the aquatic wildlife around it.
Common rush (Juncus effusus) is a soft, grass-like clumping perennial also known as soft rush. Common rush grows well in standing water or rich moist soil. It grows in small clumps that look like tall grass and spreads by rhizomes. It can be grown in an aquatic setting or indoors as a houseplant.
Papyrus sedge (Cyperus papyrus) is an aquatic flowering plant that’s originally from Africa. It was used by the ancient Egyptians to make papyrus, one of the earliest kinds of paper. For thousands of years, people have tied the stems together to build boats. Nowadays, it’s often used ornamentally. It’s close to extinction in the Nile Delta region’one of the places it calls home.
Mexican petunia (Ruellia simplex) is an evergreen herbaceous perennial recognized by its wrinkly, trumpet-shaped purple flowers. It is commonly cultivated as an ornamental plant. Due to its vigorous spreading ability, Ruellia simplex has become widely naturalized outside Mexico. It is considered an invasive species in many countries.
Yellow marsh marigold (Caltha palustris) is a perennial wildflower that grows from 1 to 3 feet tall. It produces bright yellow, buttercup-like blossoms that bloom from April to June. It is commonly found growing in moist woodlands and boggy areas. It is a favorite of grazing cows and attracts butterflies and bees. Its seeds can be collected after blooming for replanting in other locations.
Pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata) is an aquatic plant that grows 2 to 3 feet tall. It’s common name from the pickerel, a fish with which the species has a symbiotic relationship. It flourishes in shallow freshwater, including rivers, lakes, and ponds.
Common water-plantain is an aquatic flowering perennial that can grow in mud or shallow water. Its flowers open in the afternoon. The plant’s Latin name, Alisma plantago-aquatica, comes from a Celtic word for water.
Flowering rush (Butomus umbellatus) is an aquatic plant introduced into North America from Eurasia as an ornamental plant. It is now regarded as a very invasive weed in the Great Lakes area. The stems provide a ladder for damsel and dragonfly nymphs as they emerge from the depths of the pond to shed their larval skins.
Indian rhubarb is a flowering perennial that grows in small umbrella-shaped clumps. Clusters of flowers appear in spring before its leaves. It grows well around bog edges and small pond gardens.