USEFUL INFO

Hydrocotyle Sibthorpioides (Water Pennywort)

Vigorous groundcover related to Gotu Kola requiring access to water to flourish, suited to plantings at the waters edge or in creeks etc. will require thinning out after a year or so. Height to 30cm or so with pale green round leaves. Can be grown in full sun and in water as long as leaves are out of water.

Juncus (Rush) 

Vigorous upright Plants with long cylindrical leaves of varying thickness depending on the variety, suited to planting at the waters edge, or to stabilize banks etc. Height to 0.5 m to 1m spread to 1.5m. Great for smaller animals found near water as it provides shelter from predators. Can also be grown in water with just the tops out of water. Frogs will often use them to climb up out of the water & rest or get some sun

Carex Riparia

Hardy water plant that is used to great effect in ponds adding some colour as the leaves are a steely blue in colour & it spreads by rhizomes & prefers having its roots in water. Height to 70cm spread to 50 cm 

Papyrus Giant (Papyrus Antiquorum)

Vigorous clumping grass like plant with pom pom style heads on long stalks used by the ancient Egyptians to make parchment. Prefers to grow with roots in water and is very vigorous. Height to 3m and spread is unlimited! Suited to larger ponds and dams etc.

Dwarf Papyrus (Cyperus Papyrus Nana)

Dwarf form of the large Papyrus these plants will attain a height of 1m and spread to 1m under the right conditions, prefers to grow with its roots in the water .Can be grown out of water but needs to be kept moist. Looks great in larger ponds or in waterproofed pots on the patio or pool area

Umbrella Grass (Cyperus Alternifolius)

Clumping Grass like plant related to the Dwarf Papyrus. Tall stalks topped with fanning green leaves Height to 1m and spread to 1m & also comes in dwarf form needs to grow with its roots in water to look its best. Looks great in ponds as the leaves add interest and provides shelter for smaller animals in the pond, also looks great in waterproofed pots on the patio or pool area

Golden Sedge (Acorus Graminea)

Attractive clumping plant suited to planting in and around the edges of ponds and creeks etc. Attractive golden leaves striped with green, height to 40 cm 

Dwarf Umbrella Grass (Cyperus Alternifolia Nana)

Similar in appearance to the larger growing species however it only grows to 70cm or so & tends to be a smaller version. Great for ponds or half wine barrels on a back patio or pool area

Fairy lights (Scirpus)

Attractive clumping Grass with dark green leaves with a little ball of seed heads at the ends. Suited to ponds and creeks, can be grown fully submerged but prefers just its roots in water and provides cover for small animals and fish, Height to 60 cm. looks great in floating baskets

Azolla Pacifica (Aust Native)

Attractive floating plant with grey/green leaves able to cover the waters surface, providing both food and cover for fish in clear water. Looks great in a half wine barrel with some tall rushes etc growing up out of it

Duckweed (Lemna)

Small oblong light green leaves with little roots underneath make this plant attractive to have floating on the waters surface. Fish eat it and use it for cover from birds etc.

Hornwort (Ceratophyllum)

Floating plant used by some fish species to lay eggs on, also very good oxygenating plant. Dark green Leaves arranged in a long feathery whorl. Floats just under the surface, or can be anchored to the bottom to give it some stability

Vallisnaria

Attractive clumping underwater grass, bright green leaves with heavy indentations on the upper side. Great oxygenating plant, also useful for smaller fish to hide in as it forms dense clumps on the pond floor. Height to 15 cm spread 50cm

Nardoo (Marsilea)

Attractive water plant with green clover like leaves, grown for its attractive foliage, best grown in Shallow water with the leaves floating on top. Although can be grown out of the water if watered well. It sends out long creeping stems to colonize the bottom of a pond creating habitats for many underwater creatures.

Nymphae (Hardy water Lilly)

Attractive water plants with large flowers just above water level in the warmer months. Need ponds of at least 40cm deep, or to have at least 10cm of water over crown to cope with Perth's hot summers.  Flowers best in full sun positions. Hardy water Lillies come in yellow, pink and white and generally do not lose their leaves in winter in Perth Metro area.

Isolepsis Nodosa

Tall dense growing Rushes with brown flower & lighter green leaves spikes at the end of the leaves, suited to growing in or near the water. Native plant

Water Milfoil red or green stemmed (Myriophyllum) 

Oxygenating plant that has long feathery stems that float just under the water, with roots in the soil below. Prefers part shade and provides shelter for young fish, tadpoles etc in the pond. Can get quite large if left untended. Comes in green or red stem varieties with the green being the more vigorous. 

WaterCress

Edible water plant familiar to most gardeners. Thick stems carrying small dark green button like leaves. When grown in water it is a vigorous plant able to outgrow most plants so best kept trimmed it can also suffer from snails if they can get to them & nothing better is around. Cut back in late spring before it seeds.

Water Parsley (Oenothera) 

Vigorous growing water plant with fern like leaves carried on upright stems. Capable of overtaking a small pond in warmer weather if not kept in check but provides valuable cover for frogs etc.

Chocolate Mint

Vigorous Herb with dark brown almost black leaves in the summer. Grows well submerged up to the top of the root zone. Tastes & smells just like an after dinner mint. Does well in the full sun to partial shade but will rot & die if too shaded.

Bacopa (Brahmi)

Vigorous creeping plant with small light button like green leaves & light blue flowers all year round. Great for water’s edge or to line a creek etc. can be grown with roots submerged. Known as the memory herb it is an attractive plant to fill a spot quickly. Looks great in a floating basket.

Gotu Kola (Arthritis Herb) 

Fast growing creeping plant with attractive light green leaves that is known worldwide as a natural herb to aid sufferers of Arthritis. Leaves have a peppery taste and are also used in salads. Horse keepers often use this plant as an additive to their feeding regime.

Spearmint

Extremely fast growing herb suited to shallow areas of the pond, Light green dimpled leaves with a strong minty flavour. Happy to be fully submerged with just some stems out of the water. Needs to be trimmed regularly to keep its shape, fertilize regularly.

Corsican Mint

This neat little plant is a great addition to cooking adding an interesting flavour, growing only several cm high it forms a dark green mat of small green aromatic leaves with small mauve flowers in the summer & does well as a filler around creek beds, pond edges and any area with damp boggy soil.

Vietnamese Mint

A well-known addition to our line-up this plant is used extensively in Asian cooking & is a vigorous growing shrub that has attractive arrow shaped multi coloured leaves. It grows best when it has its roots in the water and forms an attractive mounded shape with only light tip pruning. Can sometimes be attacked by chewing insects but grows back very quickly. Happy to be fully submerged with just some stems out of the water. Needs to be trimmed regularly to keep its shape.

Water Mint (Mentha Aquatica)

Attractive fast-growing plant, with the same smell & taste as regular Mint. Needs plenty of fertilizer in the warmer months to look its best & benefits from a regular trim to keep it looking good. Prefers full sun position as long as it is grown in water & Happy to be fully submerged with just some stems out of the water. Needs to be trimmed regularly to keep its shape.

Lillaeopsis

Attractive clumping grass like plant with light green leaves with a height of 5cm & unlimited spread that can be grown fully submerged, widely used in aquariums around the world to provide cover for small fish. Full sun position & ideal for the bottom of a pond or creek as it establishes quickly. Can be grown with just its roots in water

GENERAL WATER PLANT CARE

In addition to all of the above, all water plants are heavy feeders & need regular top ups of fertilizer every 4 weeks or so in the warmer months to avoid them going yellow. We recommend using a liquid fertilizer with plenty of nitrogen Such as urea dissolved in water as this will green them up without making them grow excessively, we also suggest you remove them to a bucket for this as too much fertilizer can make a pond go green. (We recommend 1 teaspoon per 2.5 litres)