Five Aquatic Plants for Water Features in the North

Incorporating plants into your outdoor water features dramatically improves them visually and also provides your fish with much needed cover. Water plants can also add to the health of your pond. I live in New Jersey and have two water gardens in my backyard. Over the years that we have  had our garden ponds, my husband and I have learned from both firsthand experience and research about what plants work best in our Northeastern area. Below is a guide that I have put together for your convenience and consideration when selecting aquatic plants for water features in the North. First, though, let me quickly explain the three groups of aquatic plants: emergent (sometimes called marginal), submerged, and floater plants. Emergent/marginal aquatic plants are often found around the borders of a pond. They take root in the muddy bottom but their stems rise above the water. Submerged aquatic plants are ones that mostly exist under water. They are considered the oxygenators because they produce oxygen during the daytime for fish. Floater plants do just that: they float about freely in the water. Floaters are not rooted in the soil. Five Aquatic Plants to Consider for Water Features in the NorthPickerel Rush. Pickerel rush (see photo attached) is a perennial hardy bog water plant (emergent/marginal category) that has bluish purple colored spiked blooms. Its stems can grow up to two to three feet tall. Its roots need to be submerged in two to twelve inches of water. Our flowers start to bloom in early summer until fall arrives. They need plenty of sun but do grow in partially shaded areas. Pickerel rush can be used in water gardens by planting the flowers in mesh plastic pots, also known as planting baskets, and submerging the pots in water.

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