Water Lettuce & Water Hyacinth
Floaters & Annuals
It is a perennial monocotyledon with thick, soft leaves that form a rosette. It floats on the surface of the water, its roots hanging submersed beneath floating leaves. The leaves can be up to 14 cm long and have no stem. They are light green, with parallel veins, wavy margins and are covered in short hairs which form basket-like structures which trap air bubbles, increasing the plant’s buoyancy. The flowers are dioecious, and are hidden in the middle of the plant amongst the leaves.
Black Louisiana Iris
Iris Louisiana Black Gamecock
Stunning color makes this Louisiana Iris the best choice. Black Gamecock flourishes in early summer year after year in wet soils with giant blooms. The flower can get half foot wide. The golden throats highlight the dark hues of the blooms.
This plant reaches three feet high and wide, and in rich, moist soil is virtually maintenance-free.
Bloody Dock
Rumex Sanguineus
Red-veined dock is a perennial with leaves distinctively marked with deep red or purple veins. It is grown mostly as a foliage plant or ornamental vegetable, but it also produces stems of tiny, star-shaped green flowers that turn reddish brown. These are followed by dark brown fruit.
Blue Water Forget-Me-Not
Myosotis Scorpioides
Easily grown in organically rich, consistently moist to wet soils in full sun to part shade. Grows in up to 3” of standing water. Plant in containers in water gardens. Plant directly in the muddy banks of streams or ponds at the water line. Plants will spread by creeping rhizomes but are not overly aggressive. Pinch young plants to promote bushiness.
Blue Water Iris
Iris Versicolor
Iris versicolor is a flowering herbaceous perennial plant, growing 10–80 centimetres high. This iris tends to form large clumps from thick, creeping rhizomes. The unwinged, erect stems generally have basal leaves that are more than 1 cm wide. Leaves are folded on the midribs so that they form an overlapping flat fan. The well developed blue flower has 6 petals and sepals spread out nearly flat and have two forms.
Chameleon Plant
Houttuynia Cord Variegata
Chameleon Plant is a fast-spreading groundcover with a bright and flashy look. Plants spread underground, quickly forming a thick mat of light green leaves, boldly splashed with red, pink, yellow and cream. Small white flowers appear in midsummer.
Corkscrew Rush
Juncus Effusus Spiralis
Easily grown in wet soils, including standing water, in full sun. Tolerates light shade, but best in full sun. Needs ample moisture and grows well in standing water up to about 4” deep. Plants are often slow to establish, but once established will slowly spread by creeping roots.
Louisiana Iris
Iris Louisiana Mixed
These iris will flower in the spring providing seasonal color, ahead of summer blooming pond plants. These plants are easy to grow and very adaptive. Extra plants from divisions can be planted in terrestrial gardens. Flowers may be nearly any color and appear to “float” above the foliage.
Mares Tail
Hippuris Vulgaris
The common mare’s tail is a creeping, perennial herb, found in shallow waters and mud flats. It roots underwater, but most of its leaves are above the water surface. The leaves occur in whorls of 6-12; those above water are 0.5 to 2.5 cm long and up to 3 mm wide, whereas those under water are thinner and limper, and longer than those above water, especially in deeper streams. The stems are solid and unbranched but often curve, and can be up to 60 cm long.
Ogon Sweet Flag
Acorus Gramineus Ogon
This dwarf cultivar of grassy-leaved sweet flag (to 10 inches tall and 6 inches wide) has linear fans of semi-evergreen, glossy, pale green and cream-striped leaves that have an overall golden effect. This is an aquatic perennial with showy foliage for shallow water margins.
Queen Victoria
Lobelia Cardinalis
Stunning spikes of scarlet, five-petalled flowers rise up in late summer among beautiful, beet-colored foliage. This gorgeous cardinal flower brings a splash of vibrant color to the garden just as many perennials are fading. It is excellent for filling gaps left by early-flowering perennials in a mixed or herbaceous border and suits a planting scheme based on ‘hot’ colors.
Red Louisiana Iris
Iris Louisana Ann Showning
Iris ‘Ann Chowning’ produces intense velvety red flowers with deep yellow highlights. The flower is approximately 6″ long and blooms spring to summer.
Red Stemmed Parrots Feather
Myriophyllum Brasiliensis
Red Stemmed Parrot’s Feather is a great oxygenating plant that is conspicuous because of its red stems. These stems when paired with its bright green feathery leaves, creates an attractive set up. From June up until August, the Red Stemmed Parrots Feather plant goes through a flowering period with tiny yellow flowers.
Upright Water Clover
Marsilea Mutica
As with all the Marsilea described, the foliage on this species resembles a four-leaf clover. This particular variety has reddish-brown stripes that split the darker green on the top half of the leaflets and the lighter green of the lower half. When the four leaflets are open, the pattern on the individual leaflets come together to create a charming design. It reaches 4 to 12 inches tall, spreads, and will grow in sun or shade. It does best when planted 4 inches to 9 inches below the surface of the water.
Variegated Dropwort
Oenanthe Fist Flamingo
A lovely spring plant, Water Dropwort is usually up by March, brightening up the pond with its colour early in the year. It is grown mostly for its very attractive variegated feathery foliage, although it also has clusters of small white flowers.
Yellow Creeping Jenny
Lysimachia Numm Aurea
Very vigorous evergreen perennial forming a wide mat of creeping stems clothed in small, rounded or ovate, golden-yellow leaves. Solitary, short-stalked, cup-shaped bright yellow flowers 2cm in width.