What Pond Plants Keep Your Pond Clean?
Many pond owners wonder what the best pond plants are for their ponds, specifically when it comes to oxygenating plants! Browse through this guide from Epiphany Ponds & Landscaping and find out:
1. What is an oxygenating plant?
Learn what pond plants are considered oxygenating plants.
Pond Plants
1. What is an “oxygenating” plant?
As you may have guessed, an oxygenating plant is a pond plant that produces oxygen. In the case of pond plants, these plants “grow underwater and assimilate nutrients from the water through their leaves and they release oxygen. This why they form an important basis for the natural equilibrium in a pond, whereas they are extremely useful for keeping the water clear and healthy.” - Velda.com
These plants are fully submerged under water or partially submerged.
Oxygenation happens above and below the surface of your pond
2. How do pond plants keep ponds clean and healthy?
Oxygenating plants help keep ponds clean and healthy because they act as natural biological filters by absorbing harmful toxins, feeding on CO2, and returning oxygen into the pond’s ecosystem.
Perhaps you will remember learning about photosynthesis in Science class. Knowing about this process might help us understand how these plants help keep ponds clean and healthy.
Photosynthesis is the process in which plants transform sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water into sugars for the plant and oxygen for the rest of us! Land plants and pond plants function the same way, unless the plants don’t have leaves that reach the surface of the pond to find sunlight and absorb carbon dioxide. If this is the case, BiologyWise,com explains it this way:
As pond plants absorb nutrients and carbon dioxide in the water (or above it if they are partially submerged), they prevent algae from getting at it, which means they cannot grow as fast and take over your pond. This reduces the algae in your pond, keeping the water clear and clean. The plants also help protect fish by providing necessary oxygen.
Oxygenating plants help to prevent green water caused by algae - and they clean the water for fish, too!
3. Top 7 “oxygenating plants” for your backyard pond
While there are many oxygenating plants out there, we have chosen 7 non-invasive oxygenating pond plants. Here they are:
Canadian Waterweed (Elodea canadensis)
Hairgrass (Eleocharis acicularis)
Hornwort / Coontail (Ceratophyllum demersum)
Mare’s Tail (Hippuris vulgaris)
Tape Grass (Vallisneria americana)
Oxygenating plants add beauty to your surroundings and nourishment and shelter for wildlife, too!
On the left you have Canadian Waterweed and on the right you have Hairgrass
Image Sources: Wikipedia & Fishkeeper
Above is a photo of Mare’s Tail.
Image Source: Aquaplant, Texas A & M
Above is Tape Grass on the left and Water Primrose on the right.
Image Sources: Candide and Aquaplant, Texas A & M
On the left you have Hornwort and on the right you have White Water Crowfoot.
Image Sources: Pixabay
Epiphany Ponds & Landscaping
Whether you want to add oxygenating plants to your pond or you want to install your very first pond, Epiphany Ponds & Landscaping. From pond installation to pond maintenance, they do it all!
For over 10 years, the Epiphany Ponds & Landscaping staff have been providing award-winning ponds to Eastern Ontario customers and keeping people informed about what is best for their pond, plants - and fish!
Testimonials
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