Pond Boss Forums POND CONSTRUCTION Creating habitat Which plants to add?

Good shallow water emergent plants for you are Pickeral weed (Pontederia), blue water iris or northern blue flag (Iris versicolor), (yellow iris Iris pseudoacorus) is okay and gets taller,grows deeper, and spreads faster; good control can include removing seed pods), Most of the spike rushes (Eleocharis) are very good. I like the Sweetflag (Acorus calmus) and prefer the variegated form. There are several varieties of good arrowhead (Sagittaria) and water arum (Calla palustris). Water plantain (Alisma) will come naturally. I like lizard tail. I really like wild rice but your ducks and geese will eliminate all new spring growth so reappearence the next year will be very difficult to achieve. I recommend, eliminate all cattails. . Avoid Giant Reed (Phragmites) which is common in wet areas of your region. If you need the taller emergents use the yellow iris. Common burreed will probably be okay for your goals. Bulrushes - Scirpus (hard stem and soft stem including three square rush) in a small pond are too invasive for my preference. If you want rush use the soft rush species of Juncus. I have and enjoy the flowering rush (Butomus umbellatus), but it is now spreading to all areas of my pond. It has similar height and form as three square rush Scirpus americanus).

All Spatter dock (Nuphar), in small ponds that I've seen, eventually become a nuisance and grows to 8'-9' deep. It will take over your 8' deep pond. Use dwarf hybrid lilies if you want the floating, leaf, lily affect.

Your American pondweed is it Potamogeton nodosus - long leaf pondweed? It is good.