Pond Boss Forums AQUATIC VEGETATION Balance of plants in the environment Banana water lily for ducks

I understand this plant is excellent for attracting ducks. For hunting purposes, I'm thinking of planting some but don't want to add an invasive species I'll regret. I have grass eating carp already stocked so they may never get established. Any experience with this from anyone?

Nymphaea Mexicana or Castalia mexicana as it used to be called.

I don't have any experience with it.

Kiko, since I don't have any first hand experience with it, I did a bit of reading on it. It will grow in water from 1' to 5' deep, and it is listed as a noxious plant in some states.

http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=NYME

From that info, I'd be leery of planting it in a pond that I intended to use for fishing and other recreations. I might plant it in an area that I was flooding for ducks, and could keep the water 12"-24" deep.

IMO, the rationale for intentionally introducing banana lily to your pond should be premised on your pond's depth-profile.
If the pond has a significant amount of shallow water (the term "shallow" is relative to water-clarity), I'd suggest a cautious approach - since banana lily may overtake any areas in which adequate sunlight reaches the bottom (as with most aquatic plant species).

Here's a classic example of a private lake that supports a healthy, yet relatively confined population of banana lily (photo-date Nov 5, 2012).

In the lake's two lower compartments, banana lily occupies most areas with water-depths less than 3'.
Based on personal experiences, once established (and largely due to it's tubers), banana lily can be challenging to manage. So, make sure your pond's depth-contours are conducive to naturally regulating the plant's proliferation before it is intentionally introduced.

Here are some photos of the same lake, viewed from ground-level. Banana lilies are extremely hardy in the south, and relatively challenging for anglers (navigation and landing hook-ups). So make sure your pond isn't likely to get over-run with this specie before intentionally introducing it.

Kelly, those look about as bad as the White Fragrant Lily up here for plant density.

Dang! That's a very interesting looking lake. I can't quit looking at it.

This IS one of the most interesting private lakes I've ever encountered. It (three connected compartments) was built/funded by a surgeon probably 50 yrs ago. At face-value, it seems like a typical levee-lake. But, trolling across the surface while viewing a depth-finder reveals an underwater roller-coaster; with depth-contours constantly rising and plummeting in 5-8' increments. Several exposed islands add visual icing to the design. I would've loved to see the lake's floor before it was flooded.