How To Choose Floating Pond Plants

All garden pond plants like normal plants do better if placed in the correct spot. Floating pond plants tend to be small to medium in size and move with the wind or current.

Floating garden pond plants have hair-like roots that protrude into the water and need no soil at all. These plants certainly assist in keeping water clear since they absorb nutrients from the water and do a good job of oxygenating lily ponds. Water Hyacynth, or the Water Soldier plant are examples of  pond plants of this type.

Floating garden pond plants assist with water clarification. Floating pond plants must however be controlled since they tend to grow rapidly. Some may even be proclaimed as weeds such as the Water Hyacinth in South Africa.

 

Floating Pond Plants, flowering in summer

Name	Family	Description
Azolla filiculoides. floating moss	Azollaceae	An attractive plant changing in colour during the season from pale green to red. Sold in individual portions or in larger trade packs.
Eichhornia crassipes'Major'. floating water hyacinth	Pontederiaceae	This plant resembles a hyacinth and has pale blue flowers carried on spikes above the spongy, bright green leaf stalks that keep the plant afloat. It is not hardy and should be removed to frost-free quarters during the autumn. Available from May onwards.
Hydrocharitaceae. frogbit	Hydrocharitaceae	A small floating plant with lily-like leaves about 15 mm across. Small, but attractive, with three petalled white flowers. These produce buds which sink to the bottom during autumn but rise the following spring to produce new plants.
Pistia stratiotes	Araceae	Rossettes of pale green velvety leaves and fine trailing roots. Not hardy and needs to be overwintered in warmth.
Salvinia natans	Salviniaceae	Velvety leaves about 12 cm long, covered with fine silky hairs. Not hardy and must be overwintered in warmth.

Floating Pond Plants, flowering in winter and/or spring

Name	Family	Description
Lemna gibba	Lemnaceae	Larger form of Lemna minor with reddish tinged leaves.
Lemna minor. duck weed	Lemnaceae	Small ovate fronds, light green above and dark green beneath. One rootlet hangs down into the water from each frond.
Lemna trisulca. ivy leaved duck weed	Lemnaceae	Light green transparent fronds, oval in shape. The young fronds grow at right angles to the old ones.
Stratiotes aloides. floating water soldier	Hydrocharitaceae	An unusual plant resembling the top of a pineapple as the long, narrow serrated leaves grow in rosettes. The young plants are very attractive as the foliage is a reddish bronze colour.
Trapa natans. water chestnut	Trapaceae	Large rosettes of olive-green creeping foliage are produced from a nut, formed from last season's flower.
Utricularia vulgaris. bladderwort	Lentibulariaceae	Underwater floating insectivorous plant. Yellow flowers above the water.

Source: Anglo Aquarium Plant catalogue (1993)

Duck Weed, Water Lettuce, Water Chestnut are typical examples of floating garden pond plants.

Other categories of garden pond plants differing from the floating class can be broken up as follows: 

Oxygenators as a class of garden pond plants assist in keeping plant water clean and clear by absorbing nutrients. Potted oxygenators include Water Crowfoot, and Water Violet. Deep water pond plants the best known of which is the water lily Marginal water garden plants such as Iris, and Arum Lily which like to stand in water up to about 15cm (6). Some can grow quite tall and be blown over by the wind so you may have to weight the pot or crate down with stones. Shallow garden pond plants or water garden bog plants like Marsh Marigold, Iris, Water mint. These plants like water about 5 cm (2) deep and are good examples of pond plants.