Need suggestions for flowering plants to place around pond

Ginger · Post by **Ginger** » Mar 31, 2006 4:26 pm

Need some help please. My neighbor has a beautiful spring fed pond. It is about 1/4 acre. He wants to place some plants along the sides of the pond, and he wants someting that will come back each year, and will have flowers,and can stand wet feet. They will also need to be able to handle part shade, since there are several large trees that throw shade over the pond.

Can anyone suggest something suitable? We are in OK Zone 7.

Ginger

JoshS · Post by **JoshS** » Mar 31, 2006 6:36 pm

Planting earth ponds can be tricky. So many of the aquatic plants are very invasive.

Maybe some of the moisture loving iris would be a good start. Louisiana and probably Japanese iris should do fine in your climate. Both will take wet feet and are fairly well behaved.

I would not use yellow flag iris (Iris pseudacorus)...it is pretty prolific.

You could also try variegated sweet flag. Not much to see as far as flowers, but the iris-like foliage is showy.

I would also definitely stay away from Lotus, cattails, and arrowhead. Once you get any of them started, you'll never get rid of them.

Ginger · Post by **Ginger** » Apr 03, 2006 10:34 am

Thanks Josh, I agree on the cat tails! They grow all along the ditches in some areas around our house. I will suggest the Iris to him. I did not know they liked wet feet!

Ginger

JoshS · Post by **JoshS** » Apr 03, 2006 11:26 am

I think iris would do well. Just be sure they are a moisture loving type. The common bearded iris will rot.

Siberian iris would also be a good choice if he planted them above the water line.

Gruntfuttock · Post by **Gruntfuttock** » Apr 26, 2006 5:32 pm

Here are a couple of pictures of my ponds I took last weekend. The only iris in there is iris versicolor. The large plant in the top pond is a sedge. Around the edge with dry feet are butterbur, cowslips, gunera, astilbes and various primulas

The Caltha palustris on the left of the top pond and the right of the waterfall add a bit of bright colour. I really like arum shaped plants so I particularly like the Lysichichiton americanus pictured here.

For more information there is a link to my web site at the bottom of this post.

Ginger · Post by **Ginger** » Jun 05, 2006 5:00 pm

Thaks Gruntfuttock, I did not see this reply until today!
Sorry I missed it. I will make sure my neighbor sees it.
Those are great suggestions, and you have a beautiful pond!
Have a good day!

Ginger

flowerchild59 · Post by **flowerchild59** » Jun 08, 2006 8:38 am

Don't forget some of the native plants that will tolerate wet feet like clethra, pitcher plant, elecabane and cup plant.
Here is a link on plants that like or tolerate wet feet:

Plants that like wet feet