Pond weeds are a common problem in large natural ponds. As ponds get older, they tend to fill up with nutrients (eutrophication) and sludge, which makes plants and algae grow too much. Each year, the overall growth of both beneficial and unwanted plants increases and can eventually become a problem. Too much plant or algae growth is not only unsightly, but it can also slow down the flow of water and make it hard to swim or use the pond for fun.
The first step to solving the problem of unwanted pond weeds is to identify the weed or plant. We have broken the most common pond weeds into 3 categories:
Pond Maintenance Services and products made just for big ponds are available if you need help with your pond.
One of the joys of having a backyard pond is creating beautiful underwater scenery with a variety of aquatic plants. Selecting the right assortment of pond vegetation establishes optimal conditions for fish and wildlife. It also enhances the pond’s aesthetic appeal. But with so many options available, it can get confusing determining which plants work best in certain areas of the pond. By learning about the major pond plant types and where they thrive, you can design appealing spaces above and below the water’s surface.
Bog Plants
Bog plants prefer very wet, acidic soil on the outer margins of garden ponds These areas tend to remain saturated from water seepage and rainfall. Bog plants enjoy nutrient-poor conditions Some excellent bog plants include
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Pitcher plants – Unusual carnivorous plants with modified leaves forming pitchers that trap insects
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Sundews – Another insect-eating plant with sticky glandular hairs on the leaves.
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Orchids – Many orchid species thrive in boggy areas, adding beautiful flowers.
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Blueberries – Both highbush and lowbush blueberries grow well in boggy acid soil.
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Leatherleaf – An evergreen shrub with bell-shaped flowers suited for boggy banks.
Marginal Pond Plants
Marginal plants grow in shallow water up to 6 inches deep around pond edges. Some marginal plants extend roots underwater while keeping most foliage above the surface. Others are fully submerged. Great marginal pond plants include:
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Cattails – Tall grassy plants that spread readily in shallows. Provide wildlife food and shelter.
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Arrowheads – Produces arrowhead-shaped leaves and pretty white flowers. Spreads by rhizomes.
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Pickerelweed – Violet flower spikes rise above heart-shaped leaves. Attracts wildlife.
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Sweetflag – Clumping grassy plant with yellow-green flowers and sword-shaped leaves.
Floating Pond Plants
Floating pond plants live freely on the water’s surface unattached to the bottom. Their roots dangle underwater to absorb nutrients. Popular floating plants include:
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Water Lilies – Iconic pond plants with round floating leaves and showy flowers. Prefer depths of 1-6 feet.
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Water Hyacinths – Exotic looking flowers with inflated bulbous stems and showy lavender flowers. Can spread rapidly by runners.
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Frogbit – Mini lily-like plant with tiny floating rosettes. Provides shade for fish.
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Water Lettuce – Fluffy green leaves form rosettes that cover the water’s surface. Help reduce algae.
Emergent Pond Plants
Emergent plants are rooted in the pond bottom with stems and foliage extending well above water. Many grow in 1-3 feet of water. Examples include:
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Bulrush – Tall grassy plants growing in dense stands in shallows. Provide wildlife food and shelter like cattails.
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Pickerel Rush – Emergent plant with thin spiky leaves. Produces dense clumps.
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Arrow Arum – Arrowhead shaped leaves on long erect stems. Bears small green flower spathe.
Submerged Pond Plants
Submerged plants live fully underwater, rarely breaking the surface. They oxygenate water and provide fish habitat. Popular varieties include:
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Hornwort – Feathery green submerged plant that grows in clumps in depths up to 10 feet.
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Anacharis – Fast growing underwater plant with small leaves on branching stems. Ideal for beginners.
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Fanwort – Submerged fern-like plant with finely divided underwater leaves. Grows in clumps.
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Tapegrass – Ribbon-like submerged leaves that grow in thin strands up to several feet long.
Create the Complete Pond Ecosystem
Choose plants from each group to design fully functioning pond ecosystems. Shallow marginal plants buffer the land-water edge. Floating varieties shade and cover deeper areas. Submerged plants oxygenate bottom depths. By incorporating all the pond plant types in suitable areas, your backyard pond will thrive ecologically while providing beautiful spaces to enjoy.
Submerged Pond Weeds & Plants
Although beneficial for ponds, submerged pond plants aren’t considered usually considered very pleasing to the eye. In fact most people refer to them as sea weed, pond weed or some other unflattering name.
Coontail, also known as hornwort, is a dark green, branching aquatic plant that grows submerged in the water. Although it does not have true roots, it does anchor itself to the sediment. In nutrient rich ponds, coontail can grow very rapidly and become a nuisance.
Native to North America, Elodea has small bright green leaves that grow on branching stems. It begins growing very early in the spring in cool water and can be invasive in certain conditions.
Curly-leaf pondweed is an species that was introduced from Eurasia. It is fast growing plant and can grow very quickly, overtaking other pond plants.
Eurasian water-milfoil is a invasive, fast-growing perennial, that will form dense underwater mats. It typical grows shallow water one to three metres deep, but can also root much deeper. The fall and winter are when a lot of the season’s growth dies off, which leads to more sludge and less oxygen.
Tape Grass, also known as Eelgrass or Wild Celery, grows in shallow water. Its long, narrow leaves grow from a group at the plant’s base. the leaves grow up to 1 meter long and are only about one centimeter wide. When the water warms up in the summer, tape grass starts to grow quickly. It will split by sending out runners from the base.
Its plant name is S. pectinatus, and it grows in shallow water. Its roots form thick mats on the bottom of the pond. It has long branching stems and very narrow leaves that taper to a point. It can be fast growing in the right conditions. At first glance, it can be confused with Curly-Leaf Pond Weed.
Chara, which is also called Muskweed, is an algae that looks like a plant that is submerged. It is often mistaken for coontail because of this. It is a large, bright green branching algae that has no roots and also has a distinctive odour. When pulled from the water it has a noticeable garlic-like smell. Chara will form dense mats that can cover large areas if left alone.
Nostoc (also known as Freshwater Grapes) is actually an algae that resembles green grapes. They are often confused with frog or toad eggs when they are smaller. At certain times of the year it can also look completely different, resembling thick green jelly. Nostoc is not does not usually grow in abundance in most ponds causing any real problems.
Shoreline / Emergent Pond Weeds & Plants
Emergent / Shoreline plants are one of the most common problem in ponds. Grass, irises, phragmites, cattails, and bullrushes can grow quickly in ponds with shallow shorelines (up to 2 feet deep). Often, these plants initially colonise new ponds by seeds carried by wind, birds or other animals. Once established, many marginal plants can spread rapidly underground making them difficult to control.
Yellow iris are a non-native plant originally introduced from Europe. They can get up to 4 feet tall, have a lot of bright yellow flowers in the spring, and have roots that are made of fibers. They don’t spread too quickly through their root system, however they can easily spread by seed. They grow in shallow water up to about 12″ deep.
Cattails are a native plant that grow up to 6′ tall. As a result, they can easily spread to new ponds by seed because they grow in ditches and other wet places. In shallow ponds, they quickly overtake the shoreline and have extensive root systems that are difficult to remove.
Pickerel weed is a native plant with blue-violet flowers. They that grows in a variety of conditions, from moist soil, up to water 3′ deep. They are great places for young fish to grow, but they spread quickly and can block the edge of ponds if you don’t stop them.
Bulrush are common along shorelines in ponds, marshes, wet ditches and lakes. There are several native species of bulrush, ranging in size from 2′ to 8′ tall. They prefer moist soil up to depths of 2′. Bulrush don’t grow very fast and don’t usually take over the shore, but cutting back their roots on a regular basis can help keep them neat and in check.
Also known as Phragmites, is an invasive plant that grows and spreads rapidly. It grows in big, dense colonies that can take over misty places like ditches and shorelines and beat out native plants. The common reed grows in wet soil up to three feet deep and can get up to fifteen feet tall. In the late summer, it makes a feathery seed head.
This plant is native to the area and grows in wet soil and water that is only about 15 cm deep. It is also edible and is high in vitamins A, C and E. It produces clusters of small white flowers in summer, and can spread quickly by seed. There are several different species of Water Plantain found in Canada.
The Types Pond Plants That Help Maintain Water Quality and a Good Habitat Wildlife
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