|
Aquatic plants |
| Latin
name |
Common name |
Spread |
depth |
USDA zone |
Remarks |
| Anubias
afzelii |
Water aspidistra |
12" |
4-24" |
10 |
Submerged. Leathery leaves with strong
midrib. |
| Aponogeton
madagascariensis |
Madagascar lace plant |
24" |
6-24" |
10 |
Submerged. Oval olive-green leaves with
delicate tracery. Requires moving water. |
| Azolla
caroliniana |
Floating fairy fern |
rapid |
|
7 |
Small floating perennial fern with lacy
leaves. Needs to be controlled. |
| Bacopa
caroliniana |
Water hyssop |
6" |
6-24" |
10 |
Submerged. Oval green leaves with rose pink
markings. |
| Cabomba
aquatica |
Fanwort |
|
10 |
Submerged. Deeply cut underwater leaves and
floating kidney-shaped leaves. |
| C.
caroliniana |
Washington grass |
8" |
16-24" |
10 |
Submerged. Hardier than C. aquatica.
Fan-shaped underwater leaves, narrow surface leaves. |
|
Callitriche hermaphroditica |
Autumnal starwort |
24" |
2-24" |
2-6 |
Submerged. Wide variety of species grow in
moving water. Some grow happily beneath the ice. |
|
Ceratophyllum demersum |
Hornworts |
1' |
1-10' |
8 |
Submerged. Forked dark green leaves in whorls
up the stem. Buds drop to bottom and new plants appear in spring. |
| Chara
vulgaris |
Stoneworts |
1' |
1-10' |
4 |
Submerged primitive plant close to algae.
Good for cleaning water and oxygenation. |
| Crassula
helmsii |
Australian swamp stonecrop |
indefinite |
0-18" |
7 |
Submerged stems reach surface to form bright
green mounds. Can be invasive. |
|
Cryptocoryne beckettii |
|
12" |
0-18" |
10 |
Submerged. Broad slightly wavy leaves.
Scented flowers above water. |
| C. cordata |
|
12" |
0-18" |
10 |
Submerged. Pale olive green leaves marked
with veins. |
| C.
crispatula |
|
12" |
0-18" |
10 |
Submerged. Elongated crimped leaves. |
| C.
purpurea |
|
12" |
0-18" |
10 |
Submerged. Large and variable. Yellow to
scarlet spathes above water. |
|
Echinodorus amazonicus |
|
12" |
3' |
10 |
Submerged. Narrow pale green leaves. Enjoys
strong light. |
| E. osiris |
|
12" |
6-36" |
10 |
Submerged. Broad lance shaped leaves. |
| Egeria
densa (elodea) |
|
12" |
12-36" |
8 |
Submerged. Whorls of gray green leaves.
Occasional white flower. |
|
Eichhornia crassipes var. major |
Water hyacinth |
rapid |
|
10 |
Floating glossy green buoyant plant.
Excellent purifier. Over winter indoors. |
| Elodea
canadensis (Anacharis) |
Canadian pond weed |
12" |
6"-6 1/2' |
3 |
Best submerged oxygenator. Tiny white flowers
in summer. |
| Fontinalis
antipyretica |
Incombustible willow moss |
12" |
6-36" |
5 |
Submerged moss. Requires cold running water. |
| Hippuris
vulgaris |
Mare's tail, Joint weed |
6" |
6-24" |
6 |
Whorls of bright green leaves that stick out
horizontally from stiff vertical stems. |
| Hottonia
palustris |
Water violet |
12" |
12-36" |
6 |
Submerged. Plants billow up in early spring
and produces pale lavender flowers. |
|
Hydrocharis morsus-ranae |
Frogbit |
slow |
|
4 |
Floating dainty perennial. Three-petalled
white flower. |
| Hygrophila
difformis |
|
12" |
4-18" |
10 |
Submerged. Varies, light green leaf surface
darker underneath. |
|
Lagarosiphon major (formerly Elodea crispa) |
|
12" |
12-36" |
8 |
Submerged. Resembles Elodea canadensis. Cut
back stem if they do not die back during winter. |
| Lemna
minor |
Common duckweed |
very rapid |
|
4 |
Troublesome. Keep removing excess because
fish cannot eat it all. |
| L.
trisulca |
Star duckweed |
slower |
|
4 |
Less invasive. Excellent for clearing water. |
| Limnobium
spongia |
American frogbit |
slow |
|
5 |
Round floating leaves with spongy undersides. |
| Limnophila
aquatica |
|
12" |
4-18" |
10 |
Submerged pale green leaves shoot to surface
and produce simple aerial leaves. |
| Mayaca
fluviatilis |
|
8" |
4-18" |
10 |
Submerged. Thin, horizontal leaves radiate
from fine strands ending with dense tuft. |
|
Myriophyllum aquaticum |
Parrot's feather |
indefinite |
6-24" |
10 |
Stems will emerge from surface. Delicate
feathery appearance. |
|
M. pinnatum |
|
12" |
6-24" |
6 |
Fine bronze feathery leaves. Small purple
flower stalks held just above water. |
| Pistia
stratiotes |
Water lettuce |
moderate |
|
10 |
Ornamental floating perennial. Can be
nuisance in polluted water. |
|
Potamogeton crispus |
Curled pondweed |
12" |
6-24" |
7 |
Submerged. Best in spring or winter when
leaves are translucent bronze or mahogany. Will grow in deep shade. |
|
Proserpinaca palustris |
Mermaid weed |
12" |
6-24" |
10 |
Submerged. Forms sprays of fine hair like
foliage on long branching stems. Yellow flowers in spring |
| Riccia
fluitans |
Crystalwort |
moderate |
|
10 |
Forms thick mats just below water surface.
Good spawning ground for carp and cover for fry. |
| Salvinia
natans |
|
slow |
|
10 |
Annual floating fern. Bears no true roots.
Spore can over winter on pond bottom. |
| Stratiotes
aloides |
Water soldier |
slow |
|
5 |
Floating perennial. Rosettes of narrow
serrated stiff leaves. Spidery plantlets form on long stolons. |
| Trapa
natans |
Water chestnut |
slow |
|
9 |
Floating rosettes of diamond-shaped leaves.
Inconspicuous white flowers followed by nuts. Edible when cooked. |
|
Utricularia inflata |
Swollen bladderwort |
slow |
|
9 |
Long bushy underwater foliage. Deep yellow
sweet pea like flowers. |
| U.
vulgaris |
Common bladderwort |
slow |
|
9 |
Feathery green or bronze branching strands.
Yellow flowers stand above water. |
|
Vallisneria spiralis |
Wild celery |
12" |
12-36" |
8 |
Submerged. Long tape like leaves grow in
clumps. Plants develop on runners. |