Ponds and other aquatic gardens look their best when adorned with a variety of interesting plants. One great way to add visual diversity is to incorporate large leaf pond plants that make a bold statement with their oversized foliage.
Large leaf plants bring big impact to pond landscapes. Their generously proportioned leaves float gracefully on the water’s surface, providing shade and shelter for fish. Submerged big leaves give an exotic, tropical feeling while helping keep water clean and clear.
If you’re looking for ideas on which large leaf pond plants to grow, this guide covers some of the best options. We’ll also discuss proper care and growing tips so your big-leaved beauties thrive
What Are Large Leaf Pond Plants?
Plants with large leaves are those that naturally develop leaves wider or longer than average In ponds and water gardens, big leaf plants stand out with their oversized foliage that often floats flat on the water’s surface
Large leaf pond plants contrast beautifully with fine-textured aquatic plants like parrot’s feather or anacharis. They provide fish with ample hiding spots and shaded areas.
Some large leaf pond plants, like water lilies, have leaves that emerge directly out of the water. Other big leaf plants, including watershield and American lotus, produce leaves that sit right on the surface. There are also large leaf oxygenator plants that remain fully submerged.
No matter the growth habit, adding large leaf water plants brings drama and interest to ponds and water features. Their generously proportioned foliage commands attention.
Benefits of Large Leaf Pond Plants
There are many advantages to incorporating large leaf plants in ponds and water gardens:
- Provide shade to help regulate water temperature
- Offer shelter and hiding places for fish
- Support wildlife like frogs and dragonflies
- Help prevent algae growth by limiting sunlight penetration
- Add strong architectural shapes and visual interest
- Give surface interest during colder months when little else is growing
- Help oxygenate water when submerged leaves decompose
10 Great Options for Large Leaf Pond Plants
Here are some excellent choices to consider when looking for big impact plants that feature large, bold leaves:
1. American Lotus (Nelumbo lutea)
- Huge circular leaves up to 2 feet wide
- Beautiful yellow lotus flowers
- Leaves held above water surface on tall stalks
2. Taro (Colocasia esculenta)
- Elephant ear-shaped leaves up to 3 feet long
- Provides lush tropical look
- Leaves emerge directly from soil
3. Water Lily (Nymphaea spp.)
- Iconic floating circular leaves
- Hardy and tropical varieties available
- Vibrant lily flowers in many colors
4. Watershield (Brasenia schreberi)
- Floating round leaves up to 6 inches wide
- Plant spreads rapidly along surface
- Native plant with pretty bronze flowers
5. Water Poppy (Hydrocleys nymphoides)
- Floating leaves up to 5 inches wide
- Distinctive dandelion-like yellow flowers
- Native to southeastern United States
6. Victoria Amazonica Water Lily
- Enormous circular floating leaves over 6 feet wide
- Leaves have upturned edges
- Native to Amazon River basin
7. Yellow Cow Lily (Nuphar lutea)
- Floating heart-shaped leaves up to 1 foot wide
- Yellow cup-shaped flowers
- Native to eastern North America
8. Cattails (Typha spp.)
- Long strap-shaped leaves up to 1 inch wide
- Tall spikes with dense brown flower clusters
- Excellent for bog gardens and pond edges
9. Pickerel Weed (Pontederia cordata)
- Large heart-shaped leaves up to 8 inches long
- Spikes of blue flowers in summer
- Grows in water up to 12 inches deep
10. Fragrant Water Lily (Nymphaea odorata)
- Big floating leaves up to 10 inches wide
- Fragrant white or pink flowers
- Hardy native plant for ponds
Growing Tips for Large Leaf Pond Plants
Follow these recommendations to help your big leaf pond plants flourish:
- Plant in spring after the last frost date in your area
- Give most plants full sun for at least 6 hours daily
- Plant in pots or baskets to prevent overcrowding and control growth
- Use a rich potting mix formulated for aquatic plants
- Gradually submerge plants over 7-10 days to acclimate them
- Maintain proper water depth for each plant variety
- Prune dead leaves and flowers to keep plants looking healthy
- Divide overgrown plants every 2-3 years in early spring
Common Problems With Large Leaf Pond Plants
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Holes in leaves – Caused by aquatic pests like crayfish or snails. Remove the pests and damaged leaves.
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Discolored leaves – Usually a sign of nutrient deficiency. Apply a balanced aquatic plant fertilizer.
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Declining growth – Can indicate inadequate sunlight, wrong water depth, or old plants needing division.
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Leggy growth – Not enough light. Prune back plants and move to a sunnier location if possible.
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Failure to bloom – Often due to overcrowding or water that is too hot or too cold.
FAQs About Caring for Large Leaf Pond Plants
How much sun do large leaf pond plants need?
Most large leaf pond plants grow best with at least 6 hours of direct sun daily. More sun is preferable in cooler climates. Provide some shade in zones 8-10 to prevent leaf burn.
What is the best water depth for large leaf plants?
Proper depth varies by plant but is usually 6-24 inches. Most should have crowns right at or slightly above the water surface. Submerged big leaf oxygenators can grow in 3 feet or more of water.
Should I fertilize large leaf pond plants?
Apply a diluted liquid fertilizer formulated for aquatic plants every 2-3 weeks during the growing season. Reduce frequency for plants in pots since nutrients don’t disperse.
How often should I prune large leaf pond plants?
Remove dead leaves and spent flowers frequently to maintain an attractive appearance. Cut back excess growth as needed to prevent overcrowding.
What plants combine well with big leaf pond plants?
Try interplanting with grasses, iris, cannas, taro, umbrella plants, parrot’s feather, and marginal plants like arrowheads and swamp milkweed.
The oversized foliage of large leaf plants makes a dramatic statement in ponds and water features. For exotic tropical flair or simple elegance, adding plants with big bold leaves is an easy way to upgrade pond landscapes. With proper care, these showstoppers offer years of enjoyment and stand out as true water garden stars.
Potamogeton amplifolius (Large-leaved Pondweed)
| Also known as: | Broad-leaf Pondweed |
|---|---|
| Genus: | Potamogeton |
| Family: | Potamogetonaceae (Pondweed) |
| Life cycle: | perennial |
| Origin: | native |
| Habitat: | part shade, sun; shallow to 10 feet deep, calm water; soft to moderate lakes, ponds |
| Bloom season: | June – September |
| Plant height: | 6 to 48 inches |
| Wetland Indicator Status: | GP: OBL MW: OBL NCNE: OBL |
| MN county distribution (click map to enlarge): | |
| National distribution (click map to enlarge): |
Pick an for a larger view. See the glossary for icon descriptions.
A dense, cylinder-shaped spike that rises above the water and is 1½ to 3 inches (to 8 cm) long at the stem’s tip. It grows from the space between floating leaves. Spikes have six to ten whorls of flowers. Each flower has a style with four parts and four stamens surrounding it. Each stamen has a green to brownish, ladle-shaped appendage that looks like a sepal.
Leaves are mostly submersed, more or less spirally arranged, usually with some floating leaves produced. The floating leaves are firm, elliptical to narrowly egg-shaped, 1½ to 4 inches long, and 1 to 1½ inches wide. They don’t have any teeth and are rounded to heart-shaped at the base and pointed to rounded at the tip. The stalk is usually longer than the blade. The top is green and the bottom is often reddish. There are 27 to 49 veins on either side of the noticeable midrib, with a few lateral veins standing out more than the others.
The leaves that are submerged are thin, green, and often turn a reddish brown color. They are broadly elliptic, widest above or below the middle, 2 to 8 inches long, and up to 2¾ inches wide. The edges are wavy, and the tips are pointed and the bases are tapered. The leaves are on a stalk that can be up to 2½ inches long, but sometimes there is no stalk. The midvein is surrounded by 19 to 49 lateral veins, some of which stand out more than the others. At the base of the leaf stalk is a pale, clear, membranous part called a stipule that is not attached to the leaf blade. It is 1½ to 4 inches long, has two keels, and its tip points straight across. Stems are round, often rusty-spotted, mostly unbranched, elongated at lower depths. Colonies are often formed from creeping rhizomes. Vegetative buds (turions) are not produced. Glands at the leaf nodes are absent.
Fruit is a dry seed (achene), the flowering spikes forming densely packed seed heads, reddish-brown when mature.
Achenes are irregularly oval, 4 to 6. 5 mm long with 3 obscure, smooth, rounded keels and a short, abrupt beak.
Big-leaf Pondweed is one of the easiest pondweeds to spot because its large, often reddish, strongly arching, ruffled, submerged leaves are close to the water’s surface. The flowers and fruits float above the water from the axils of the floating leaves and often form large colonies in deeper water. If there are no floating leaves, the submerged stems may look like Illinois Pondweed (Potamogetan illinoensis), which has leaves that are usually shorter and thicker, often branching out, and have more lance-shaped leaves with up to 19 veins. It only sometimes has short-stalked floating leaves. Deeper water specimens of White-stem Pondweed (P. praelongus) may also look like this, but its submerged leaves are usually narrower and have short stalks or almost no stalks at all. It also doesn’t make any floating leaves.