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Cool Aquatics
Not all aquatic plants have to be placed in ponds. Many prefer only shallow water or just even wet soil. To enable you
to choose the correct water plant, use the following key and explanation.
DW – deep water, usually over 25 cm. Leaves either float (e.g. lilies) or protrude. SW – shallow water, less than 15 cm.
WS – wet or waterlogged soil.
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Arrowheads - Sagittaria sinensis
Large arrow-shaped leaves Deciduous, so it ‘dies back’ in winter. Edible corms which need cooking and are eaten
like potatoes. SW, WS.
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Blue Flag – Iris laevigata
White double flower with broad purple band around the fringe. Cold-tolerant. SW.
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Bog Sage - Salvia uliginosa
Bright blue flowers, with white flakes, in summer. Prune in winter to encourage new growth in spring. WS.
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Golden Waterclub – Orontium aquaticum
Blue-green, spearhead-shaped leaves which are upright in shallow water and float in deeper water. White
flowerstems tipped with golden yellow. Elegant and fast growing. DW, SW.
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Marsh Cypella – Cypella aquatilis
Unusual golden iris-like flowers, with red streaks. Bright green corrugated leaves are attractive all year. Plant
suited to small ponds. SW, WS.
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Papyrus - Cyperus papyrus
Giant sedge with feathery heads. Used to make paper in ancient Egypt. Rhizomes edible. We carry both miniature
(dwarf) and giant forms. SW.
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Pickerel Rush - Pontederia cordata
Upright leaves on vertical stems. Edible seeds. Deciduous. Heart-shaped leaves. SW, WS.
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Pitcher Plants - Sarracenia spp
Bog-loving plants that live in a mixture of sand and peat moss. Cold tolerant, but may need protection from the
sun. Good pest controllers, as they capture and eat insects. Flowers make great cut flowers. Amazing colours and
strangely beautiful. WS.
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Soapwort - Saponaria officinalis
Produces a delicate natural soap which is good for the skin (non-allergenic). Lilac-pink flowers. WS.
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Spike Rush - Eleocharis acuta
Small clumping rush with deep brown flowerheads at the tips. Good habitat for frogs and other wildlife. SW, WS
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Taro - Colocasia esculenta
Staple food of the tropics. Large corm (underground stem) is cooked and eaten like potato. In some varieties the
leaves can also be eaten (cook these like any green vegetable). Green heart-shaped leaves and petioles. The corm
may be boiled, baked, fried or barbecued or cooked in curries and in coconut milk. High in minerals and
carbohydrates. WS.
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Tassel Sedge - Carex fascicularis
Grassy broad-leaved tussock in clumps. Tolerates both shade and sun. SW, WS.
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Thalia - Thalia dealbata
Both red-stemmed and green-stemmed varieties are available. Violet flower spikes in summer, followed by
decorative seed heads. 1.5 m. SW.
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Water Chestnut - Eleocharis dulcis
Leaves resemble a typical reed but a number of edible tubers form underground. The plant ‘dies off’ during
winter, and the tubers are then harvested. These can be eaten raw (very crispy) or cooked. Some tubers can be
kept in the ‘fridge’ or cool moist sand until the following spring when they are replanted. Tubers are usually
cooked. SW, WS.
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Yellow Flag - Iris pseudacorus
Small growing variety, so ideal for small ponds. Pale yellow flowers. SW.
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Zebra Rush – Schoenoplectus lacustris
Also (and formerly) known as Sciripus zebrinus. 1m. The dark green stems have horizontal cream banding. SW.