There are four major categories of pond plants:
1). Oxygenating
2). Floating
3). Deep water
4). Marginal

Oxygenating plants create oxygen for fish and other pond inhabitants. Some, like water lilies and lotus, grow with their crowns submerged and send up long stems on which their leaves and flowers float or emerge just above the water surface.

Some Floaters don’t need soil at all. It’s good to have water hyacinths and water lettuce in your pond to provide shade. These you will have to replace every year.

Deep-water plants live at the bottom of the pond and provide fish with shade and protection from predators.

Marginal plants live along the outer edge of the pond and blend with the surrounding landscape.



In a mature pond, 60 - 70% of the pond surface should be covered with plants in order to reduce the development of algae.