Missouri’sNativeAquaticsChose native aquatic plants to landscape lakes and ponds,and for water gardens in pools or containers.Becky EricksonBy Ann WakemanThere is great joy in havinga backyard water garden,for the beauty of the plantsand to observe wildlife thatgathers there. Natural looking,in-ground water gardensand even large ceramicpots or other containers ona patio present additionalways to landscape with andenjoy native plants. Thereare numerous referencesto building a water garden,so this article will focus onaquatic native plants, and myexperience with using them inwater gardens.Water Garden Ecology: A BriefPrimerSubmerged portions of all aquatic plantsprovide habitats for many aquatic invertebrates.These small creatures—such asdragonfly larvae—in turn are prey forfish, amphibians, reptiles, and ducks.After aquatic plants die, their decompositionby bacteria and fungi providesfood, called “detritus” for many aquaticinvertebrates. In addition, waterfowl,game birds, and songbirds will consumeseeds of aquatic plants like soft rush.Emergent vegetation providesperching places for many adult, wingedinsects. Such vegetation is critical aswell for dragonflies, mayflies, and otheraquatic insects because the nymphs crawlup it when they emerge from water tobecome free-flying adults.Richard dayTo jump start your water garden’sweb of life, add a bucket of water from anearby pond, if available. That will introducemillions of beneficial micro-organismsto help keep the system in check.Invariably, especially as the waterwarms in spring, you will likely see asmall algal “bloom” in your water garden.I pull out larger, floating masses ofthe algae in early spring; it’s a great additionto the compost pile.To bloom well in containers, waterlilies and other aquatic plants needperiodic fertilizer applications. Whenapplying fertilizer to your submerged,potted aquatic plants, be sure to get itpushed deeply into the soil to help preventfuture algal growth. That will feedthe plant, not leach excess nutrients intothe water, which will contribute to algaegrowth.Other aquatic plants that can showup in your water garden are floatingnatives like duckweed (Lemna sp.) andbladderwort (Utricularia vulgaris). I findthem interesting additions, not problems.If too abundant, however, you canharvest them and add them to compostor mulch. Watermeal—which is a kind24 Missouri Prairie Journal Vol. 35 No. 2
Becky EricksonMDCOn facing page, pickerel weed and below, a double-striped bluet damselfly (Enallagma basidens),one of many aquatic insects that benefit from native water plants. Above are native water lilies,which can be white- or pink-flowered.of duckweed and the world’s smallestflowering plant—can rapidly become anuisance. Remove it as soon as possible.Water Garden Preparation andMaintenanceContainer water gardens can feature oneto several plants, planted in individualpots or all together. Use heavy soil likegarden soil and clay, not potting soil,which is too lightweight and will float.An elevated or free-standing containerwill warm up more than if the samecontainer were plunged into the ground.Smaller container water gardens placedin full sun may overheat, stressing plantsand fish. Having midday shade stillallows enough sun for blooming plants.Consider having two water gardencontainers, one for water lilies and softrush that need standing water, and a secondwet soil container for marsh milkweed,cardinal flower, and copper iris.The native plants in this articlecan be found at Missouri’s native plantnurseries and many garden centers thatcarry natives. Consult www.grownative.org, Resource Guide, for a list of plantsuppliers.Maintenance on a container watergarden is minimal: natural predators likedragonflies and bats can help controlmosquitoes, but if they become a nuisance,add Mosquito Dunks monthlyto your container or pool to control thelarvae; trim spent vegetation; and overwinterfree-standing containers in anunheated garage. I also tidy up the previousyear’s stems in early spring to allowsun to reach the water for warming, andI pull out leaves that have blown in andsunk to the bottom. Every three yearsor so in early summer, I drain the pooland clean out the silt from the bottom. Idon’t like to do this annually because ofthe insects and frogs that like some mudin the bottom for overwintering.Ann’s Top Picks for Water GardensOur native water lilies (Nymphaea odorata)come in white or pink and are fragrant.If both white- and pink-floweredplants are planted in the same pond orpool, they will cross and you will havefuture plants with a wide range of whiteto deep pink blooms. To bloom well,water lilies require full sun, as well as regularfertalizing if grown in pools or tubs.At top is the native southern blue flag, andabove is duckweed, a native flowering plantthat likely will appear on its own in your watergarden. If you find it bothersome, simply scoopit out and add it to your compost pile.In mud bottom pools or ponds, theirroots are able to take up sufficient nutrients.Water lilies can reproduce by seed,but mostly by way of small tuber “buds”that float and disperse to new territory.To go with those lilies are our native irisspecies, which like having their feet wet.Southern blue flag (Iris virginica) withblues from intense, nearly purple to paleblue and, rarely, even white. These 30-to 40-inch-tall plants bloom in mid- tolate May, for about two weeks. Southernblue flag is vigorous, so it is best plantedwhere it can form large clumps. This irisalso can re-seed well.The 18- to 24-inch-tall copper iris (Irisfulva) is native to southeastern Missouri,but is winter hardy through most of thestate. Not as vigorous as southern blueflag, copper iris is quite happy grownin pots on a shelf of a water garden.Becky EricksonVol. 35 No. 2 Missouri Prairie Journal 25
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