Did you know some of your favorite garden and landscape plants can be added to your water garden and that some of the most common water garden plants can be planted in your landscape?
Here are a few of my favorite versatile plants for your pond and your garden:
- Papyrus (Cyperus): This is one of the easiest plants to grow in a water garden & is usually the first plant a pond installer will put in your pond. It is a beautiful tall plant that makes a nice backdrop for a tropical garden. Papyrus can be a bit over powering in a pond, especially the Umbrella and Egyptian varieties. Papyrus spreads quickly so you will need to keep an eye on it.
- Taro (Colocasia) or Elephant ear is another large plant with many varieties. Both Colocasia & Alocasia will do well in the ground or in the water. The key is to keep them in very shallow water.
- Mexican Petunia (Ruellia brittoniana) I use this in my garden as a hedge and as a bog plant in my pond. They will spread quickly too.
- Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis) has a beautiful red flower on top of a reddish green stalk.A nice touch of color for your pond or garden, they will die back in cooler weather but come back easily the next season.
Iris: There are over 260 species of Iris; many are true aquatic plants while others can be used in both situations like the blue flag. Yellow flag Iris are often used in natural ponds for water purification. They are very aggressive growers and can grow to 6′ tall so be careful in your water garden.- Canna is one of my favorites with large broad leaves & bright yellow, orange, red and even striped flowers. Bengal tiger (striped flower), Endeavor and flaccida work wonderfully in both the garden & water garden.
- Society garlic (Tulbaghia violacea) a low bunching plant with lovely lavender flowers. Also helps to repel biting bugs in your garden.
- Butterfly ginger (Hydychium coronatium) is a tall plant with large white flowers that smell like ginger. They do well in full and part sun and are a wonderful addition to your butterfly garden.
Hibiscus has many varieties that will work equally well in the garden and pond. The marsh mallow has large pink flowers and loves moist soil.- Horsetail (Equisetum hyemale) is one of my favorites. Tall black banded green stalks that resemble a small bamboo. This is an aggressive spreader too & is best kept in a pot but can also be used as a hedge or border.
- Crinum (Crinum sp) grows from a bulb is also known as bog lily, spider lily or swamp lily. They do well in the garden but should be kept moist. They will not do well in colder climates.
- Obedient plant (Physostegia virginiana) is a fun plant. It is called obedient plant because you can move each flower on its stalk to whichever direction you like & it will stay.
- Chameleon plant (houttuynia cordata) lovely low plant with color changing leaves. As the weather cools, the leaves turn a dark maroon-purple. This is a nice plant for a container garden.
Calla Lily (Zantedeschia) is a tender plant that is hardy to zone 6. Some varieties do not do well in the pond. The spotted leaf variety with white flower does beautifully in water garden or as a house plant.
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