How To Choose Floating Pond Plants

Your pond plants will do better if placed in the correct spot. Floating pond plants tend to be small to medium in size and move with the wind or current. Pond plants that float have hair-like roots. These dangle in the water, get their nutrients from the water and air and do not need any soil. These floating plants certainly help greatly in keeping water clear since they absorb nutrients from the pond water and do a good job of oxygenating water gardens.

Water Hyacinth, or the Water Soldier plant are examples of floating pond plants of this type. Floating aquatic plants assist with water clarification. Plants which float must be controlled since they tend to grow rapidly and get out of hand (especially in natural waterways). Some may even be proclaimed as weeds such as the Water Hyacinth in South Africa. One of the important dams namely Hartebeest Poort Dam is (was at least last time I checked) totaly overgrown.

Floating Pond Plants, flowering in summer

• Azolla filiculoides ... floating moss. An attractive plant changing in colour during the season from pale green to red. Sold in individual portions or in larger trade packs.

• Eichhornia crassipes'Major',  floating water hyacinth. This plant resembles a hyacinth and has pale blue flowers carried on spikes above the spongy, bright green leaf stalks that keep the plant afloat. It is not hardy and should be removed to frost-free quarters during the autumn. Available from May onwards.

• Hydrocharitaceae ... frogbit. A small floating plant with lily-like leaves about 15 mm across. Small, but attractive, with three petalled white flowers. These produce buds which sink to the bottom during autumn but rise the following spring to produce new plants.

• Pistia stratiotes ... Rossettes of pale green velvety leaves and fine trailing roots. Not hardy and needs to be overwintered in warmth.

• Salvinia natans ... Velvety leaves about 12 cm long, covered with fine silky hairs. Not hardy and must be overwintered in warmth.

Floating Pond Plants, flowering in winter and/or spring

• Lemna gibba ... Larger form of Lemna minor with reddish tinged leaves.

• Lemna minor ... duck weed. Small ovate fronds, light green above and dark green beneath. One rootlet hangs down into the water from each frond.

• Lemna trisulca ... ivy leaved duck weed. Light green transparent fronds, oval in shape. The young fronds grow at right angles to the old ones.

• Stratiotes aloides ... floating water soldier. An unusual plant resembling the top of a pineapple as the long, narrow serrated leaves grow in rosettes. The young plants are very attractive as the foliage is a reddish bronze colour.

• Trapa natans ... water chestnut. Large rosettes of olive-green creeping foliage are produced from a nut, formed from last season's flower.

• Utricularia vulgaris ... bladderwort. Underwater floating insectivorous plant. Yellow flowers above the water.

Source: Anglo Aquarium Plant catalogue (1993)

Duck Weed, Water Lettuce, Water Chestnut are typical examples of floating garden pond plants.

Other categories of garden pond plants differing from the floating class can be broken up as follows: 

• Oxygenators as a class of garden pond plants assist in keeping plant water clean and clear by absorbing nutrients. Potted oxygenators include Water Crowfoot, and Water Violet.

• Deep water pond plants the best known of which is the water lily

• Marginal water garden plants such as Iris, and Arum Lily which like to stand in water up to about 15cm (6). Some can grow quite tall and be blown over by the wind so you may have to weight the pot or crate down with stones.

• Shallow garden pond plants or water garden bog plants like Marsh Marigold, Iris, Water mint. These plants like water about 5 cm (2) deep and are good examples of pond plants.