Pond Boss Forums AQUATIC VEGETATION Balance of plants in the environment Accelerating Probigation of cat tails and Lilies?

Hardy lilies can get out of hand in shallow waters pretty quickly, so be aware of that. Hybrid selections are a safer choice and can be spread by digging and dividing them every other year. Iris is a great substitute for cattails, but be aware some of them can spread very quickly via seed (good or bad depending on goals). Water willow is a nice plant for fish habitat and fills a valuable niche while helping to compete with shoreline FA and chara. Pickerel weed looks really nice and rarely gets out of hand. In my case, the muskrats have been chewing it down to the crown this year which angers me. hehe. Sweet flag is another Iris type choice that works really well as a cattail sub and is native to your area. Arrowhead (Sagittaria spp.) is a great plant to add, but in my case, is hit quite hard by waterfowl. Blue Flag could be another consideration. Horsetail is another interesting and pretty plant that is similar in nature to cattail. It is poisonous to horses though if that's an issue for you.