| Gallery: Garden pond flora |  |
Under this gallery you will find images of plants typically associated with ponds. Particularly, of course, those of interest to the wildlife gardener.
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Kingcup (Caltha palustris), also commonly called marsh marigold, is a beautiful plant of damp areas such as pond and stream margins. An early-flowering member of the buttercup family; its large brilliant yellow flowers bring the pond to life in spring. |
Pictures
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An attractive native speedwell, brooklime (Veronica beccabunga) will grow profusely and happily in garden ponds. It does not need to be rooted and will spread across the surface of a pond and beyond the margins. It needs keeping in check.
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Water figwort (Scrophularia auriculata) is a native easily grown as an emergent in the pond margin. The small and inconspicuous flowers (shown in detail here) are attractive to a number of animals.
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One of the largest members of the buttercup family, greater spearwort (Ranunculus lingua) is an attractive native plant to grow as an emergent in ponds. In this picture you can see the fruits just after the flowers have dropped their petals.
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The large flowers of greater spearwort (Ranunculus lingua) are attractive to many insects.
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Lesser spearwort (Ranunculus flammula) has smallish flowers but is nonetheless quite a dense plant. This one is grown as an emergent in the shallow margins of my pond.
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Bogbean (Menyanthes trifoliate) is very attractive plant with both beautiful (though short-lived) flowers and attractive foliage which spreads vigorously across a pond.
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The beautiful pyramidal flowering head of bogbean (Menyanthes trifoliata).
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No pond would seem complete without a smattering of our native water mint (Mentha aquatica). You can grow this around the edges of a pond or as an emergent.
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The native purple loosestrife (Lythrym salicaria) can be grown in any damp spot in the garden or as an emergent. It is a tall plant, putting on a spectacular show of purple flowers in late summer which contrast with the yellows which dominate so many other pond plants.
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Creeping jenny (Lysimachia nummularia) is a very low growing native plant ideal for softening the hard edge of a pond. Planted outside the pond it will rapidly grow and trail into the water providing a very useful means of entry and exit for pond animals.
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Close up of creeping jenny (Lysimachia nummularia) showing the very attractive yellow flowers.
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A classic emergent or marginal native pond plant, yellow flag (Iris pseudacorus) is worth growing if you have the room. Yellow flag is very beautiful and attractive to a whole range of invertebrates.
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Common cotton-grass (Eriophorum angustifolium) is a plant worth growing as an emergent in a pond for its dense growth of low rush-like leaves and the beautiful plumes of the white seed-heads. This one is just coming into flower.
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Water hawthorn (Aponogeton distachyos) is one of the few non-native plants I grow in my pond. I chose it for its long flowering season (it can flower almost throughout the whole year). Invertebrates are also attracted to it, particularly the pond snails which devour its foliage!
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Kingcup (marsh marigold)