Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Plants for LMB pond

Are there any plants you would recommend for a 4 acre pond 15' max depth at dam and 5' for the rest. In Arkansas and this will be a pond for LMB. Most posts I read on here are about problems people are having with overpopulation of vegetation. I have read a few articles on the benefits of plants and water quality but these may have been for small backyard ponds. Should I leave vegetation alone and just use stucture, Rocks, Wood etc...?

I think adding the species of plants that you want up front is always better than battling volunteers that you don't want. I think that plants are typically great for fish, but can be a nuisance for fishermen. Eventually, some type of plant(s) will try and exploit whatever nutrients are in a pond. I have lots of plants in my 2 older ponds and very few in my 2 newer ponds because they don't have many nutrients yet and the bottom and banks are mostly clay. Eventually, they will have more nutrients as plant material washes in over the years. Hope that this helps.

I agree with RAH. You are better off adding your own plants rather than letting nature do it for you, same as with fish.

Even after you plant good stuff that won't take over, though, that is no guarantee it will grow. I didn't add brushy pondweed, and now it is my number one (unwanted) plant. Still, it's best to start with stuff you really want.

Thanks for the reply's guys. I only know of a few plants that grow in are area lakes and that's hydrilla, coon tail and lilly pads. Don't know if any of those other than the lilly pads that would grow in the pond and afraid they would take over. same thing with cattails wouldn't mind them in the upper end but don't want to many. What are some plant species you would recommend I look into. Or a book that may explain it.

Arkie, from personal experience I'd recommend American Pondweed and Duck Potato. Maybe some dwarf lily pads could be interesting, but you need to be careful as some varieties will take over. Absolutely no hydrilla or coon tail.

Are you sure that hydrilla is present in PA lakes is? There is a common northern native pond plant called elodea. Both to the untrained eye look the same. Compare the two species.
http://www.njwsa.org/uploads/1/0/8/0/108064771/hydrilla_fact_sheet_elodacomparison.pdf

Hydrilla is considered invasive and nuisance often creating problems. Elodea is native and more easily controlled compared to hydrilla. Grass care eat elodea. Not sure if GC control hydrilla.

Instead of cattails use aquatic iris "blue flag", sweet flag (standard and variegated), lizard tail. See info in this link.
https://forums.pondboss.com/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=440475#Post440475

Eel grass, American and Illinois pond weed. Easier to get stuff going before you have a heavy turtle population. They eat everything except the stuff you don't want (alligator weed).

Bill, they do. As a matter of fact, TPWD has ruined several productive fisheries through total elimination of hydrilla by stocking GC. We ladder stock, TPWD stocks thousands all at once. The result is muddy water, and no cover for fish.