I have always had a number of small water features in the sun and grown water lilies, lotus, and all the sun lovers. But some of my slarrer features have gotten pretty shaded as trees have grown over the years. What plants are best for shaded ponds?
WHat's nice for a shaded water feature?
Hosta's would do nicely.
In the pond? As water plants?
I put in bare root hosta's into rock crevaces on the sides of the pond(roots in water) and they have come back each of the past three years. My pond even gets some afternoon sun and they do great.
This picture was taken this evening.
This pond is in almost complete shade. That'd be okay for the edge, but is there anything larger that would do in the center as the "main attraction"?
I found this web site that has an extensive list of water shade plants. Hope you can find something to try. Post pictures if you are successful.
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/plantanswers/flowers/lily2.html
Beahive, I love the idea of hostas in the pond! What zone are you in, and do you leave them in the pond over winter or bring them inside for winter?
Brenda
I am in Zone 7a. I just leave them in the pond. We do get freezing temps and snow and they have come back. I run my pond all winter so it does not freeze over.Your zone is a lot colder. If your pond freezes over, I would move them indoors or just consider them annuals.
Okay, thanks again, BeaHive. Zone 5 is still pretty new to me.
Brenda
zone 7 is newish to me too. 49 years in CA zone 9 now 3 years with this zone 7. It was an adjustment! Trial and error is the norm around here.
Brenda, I leave my hostas in the pond all winter and it freezes solid (zone 5). They come back each year no problem. Start with a small division of a hosta and see how it does for you the first winter.
Goth- pickerel rush does well in the shade for me. It does not bloom as profusely as it would in the sun, but the foliage is nice too and it can get large if you give it room to spread
water lettuce does well in shade. I had it in sun , it didn't do well then i read its better in shade. Its a very interesting floating plant and it multiplies by itself
That is a good idea, SongsofJoy. As for the water lettuce, I had it in my pond in AZ in full sun and it didn't like it at all. Here in Colorado it has done pretty well in a mix of shade and sun.
Bob, that's for the suggestion, but water lettuce (and water hyacinth) and banned plants here in Florida.
I would like to find a giant mosaic plant. That would be pretty cool. Til then I am thinking I will throw some different colocasias in there and let em go wild for transplanting later into the yard
sorry didn't know that ....... how about coons tail or parrots feather ?
parrots feather is wildly invasive here as is cabomba. I want something that will rise above the surface. The pond is already filled with anachris.
I think I will move out a big chunk of Lasia spinosa and see how that does in shade. I have some in a smaller pond in sun. And I'll throw in some colocasias I want to propagate to plant out.