Choosing and establishing plants for ponds
To make part of your backyard like natural wetlands, use a mix of diverse plants. Most trees, shrubs, ferns, and many other plants grow best in soils that are only saturated early in the growing season and after heavy rains. Others, like the true bog plants, need almost continually saturated soil. Plants like water lilies need to be continually flooded. Once established, plants like cattails will thrive in water a couple feet deep, but also in areas that are wet for only short periods. However, most have a narrower tolerance range that may vary depending on where you live. Always check with your local nursery or other expert before making final decisions on what varieties to plant. Plants should always be purchased from a reliable source.
Native trees tolerant of wet soils: - Red and silver maple (Acer rubrum, A. saccarinum)
- River birch (Betula nigra)
- Catalpa spp.
- Ash (Fraxinus spp.)
- Cottonwood (Populus deltoides)
- Swamp white oak (Quercus bicolor)
- Sycamores (Platanus spp.)
- Native shrubs tolerant of wet soils:
- Red osier dogwood (Cornus sericea)
- Leatherwood (Dirca palustris)
- Winterberry (Ilex verticillata)
- Inkberry (Ilex glabra)
- Pussy willow (Salix discolor)
- Shrubby cinquefoil (Potentilla fruticosa)
Native herbaceous and flowering plants for sunny moist or boggy conditions: - Cattails (Typhus spp.)
- Joe-Pye weed (Eupatorium maculatum)
- Great blue lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica)
- Ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis)
- Blue flag iris (Iris versicolor)
- Boneset (Eupatorium perfoliatum)
- Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis)
- Goldenrods (Solidago spp.)
- Marsh marigold (Caltha palustris)
- Swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)
- Gentian spp.
Native herbaceous and flowering plants for shady moist or boggy conditions: - Bee balm (Monarda didyma)
- Arrowhead (Sagittaris latifolia)
- False hellebore (Veratrum viride)
- Turtlehead (Chelone spp.)
- Skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus)
- Royal fern (Osmunda regalis)
- Netted chain fern (Woodwardia areolata)
- Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisaema triphyllum)
- Cinnamon fern (Osmunda cinnamonmea)
- Shield ferns (Dropteris spp.)
- Lady ferns (Athyrium spp.)
- True bog plants requiring low pH and sun:
- Sundews (Drosera spp.)
- Butterworts (Pinguicula spp.)
- Pitcher plants (Sarracenia spp.)
Numerous other native wetland species are available in most areas. There are also many species that have been naturalized in North America and are often considered native plants. Unfortunately, some of these species are more competitive and have become invasive, crowding out the native species that provide habitat for indigenous wildlife.
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