At least once a year, you should pull weeds and trim back plants around your garden pond to keep it clean and the plants looking great. This can be hard, though, because your pond isn’t just a beautiful part of your garden; it’s also a home for animals that aren’t sure how to take care of gardens.
Since you won’t be disturbing any frogspawn, dragonfly hatchlings, or other pond life, winter is the best time to do it. The plants have stopped flowering and are dormant for the winter. Here’s the full guide to what you need to do, plus our top winter pond plants.
Having a pond in a region with cold winters poses some unique challenges. Many aquatic plants cannot withstand freezing temperatures and die back each year. However, a number of hardy pond plants are well-adapted to survive frigid winters. With the right selection of plants, you can have an attractive pond garden year-round.
Why Winter Hardy Plants Matter
Hardy pond plants that survive the winter provide many benefits
- Provide oxygenation and filtration year-round
- Don’t deplete oxygen as they die off
- Offer food and shelter for wildlife in winter
- Create less spring cleaning and maintenance
- Save money by not having to replace plants annually
Choosing the right winter hardy plants allows your pond to stay lush, healthy, and low-maintenance all year.
Best Hardy Pond Plants
Here are some excellent options to consider
Arrowhead Plant
Named for its arrowhead-shaped leaves this hardy perennial has tall, graceful stems that add interest. It spreads readily, so contain it or be prepared to thin it out. Grows in zones 5-11.
Corkscrew Rush
With its spiraled, twisted leaves, this robust grass-like plant has a unique look. Plant it in groups to mimic reeds. It spreads but is easy to contain. Hardy in zones 5-9.
Water Lily
Certain water lily species, like the hardy water lily (Nymphaea), overwinter via their thick rhizome roots. Their floating leaves offer shade and shelter. Limit spread with pots. Zones 4-11.
Horsetail
Horsetail is an ancient plant with hollow, jointed stems. It overwinters via rhizomes and is best contained. Provide oxygenation and an interesting shape. Zones 3-9.
Water Forget-Me-Not
This compact hardy perennial has clusters of petite blue flowers in spring. It spreads moderately and mixes well with other plants. Prefers part sun. Zones 3-8.
Golden Club
A marginal plant with long, strappy leaves and a spray of yellow flowers in summer. It spreads slowly from rhizomes and provides vertical interest. Does well in zones 4-11.
Water Hawthorn
Also called water meadowsweet, it has attractive white flowers in spring and nice fall color. Dies back each winter but regrows from seed. Likes sun to part shade. Zones 4-9.
American Water Lotus
A tropical-looking plant with large round leaves that float on the surface. The rhizomes sink and go dormant for winter. Provide full sun and zones 5-11.
Pickerel Weed
Love sun and moisture? This plant has dense blue flower spikes in summer and broad leaves. It spreads aggressively, so contain it. Zones 3-11.
Sweet Flag
A marginal plant with sword-like leaves and an interesting reed-like shape. Moderately aggressive spreader. Provides movement and texture in zones 4-10.
Tips for Success
Follow these tips to help your hardy pond plants thrive:
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Give plants plenty of sun, at least 6 hours per day.
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Gradually expose plants to colder fall temps to harden off.
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Remove tropical plants before first freeze. Store dormant if possible.
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Maintain proper water depth for each plant species.
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Prevent invasive spread by planting in pots or containment areas.
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Remove dead stalks and leaves in spring to encourage new growth.
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Divide aggressive plants every 2-3 years to control spread.
Overwintering Tropical Plants
If you have tropical water plants, they can sometimes be overwintered indoors or in a greenhouse until spring. To increase their chance of survival:
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Bring plants inside before first frost, when water temps reach 60°F.
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Prune plants back to reduce size and stress for overwintering.
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Repot into smaller containers in fresh pond soil.
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Place in bright, warm area (65-75°F) with humid conditions.
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Provide 12-14 hours of light and water sparingly. Don’t overwater dormant plants.
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Gradually reintroduce to pond after final spring frost.
Enjoy Year-Round Pond Beauty
With the right selection of hardy pond plants, you can create a beautiful garden oasis that thrives through winter. Follow these tips to choose, care for, and overwinter plants successfully. With hardy specimens mixed with a few protected tropicals, your pond can maintain life, interest, and beauty every month of the year.
Prepare for winter
You might want to put a net over your pond in the fall and winter if it is surrounded by trees that lose their leaves in the fall. This will keep the water peaceful. Covering the pond with fine mesh is also a good idea if there are fish in it. That way, you won’t be surprised if herons come to eat the fish.
Remove the weeds
I use a pond net to remove surface weeds like duckweed – you can get one of these from an aquatic shop or garden centre. Skim the surface gently with the net to avoid damaging your plants, then dump the weeds on the side of the pond for a day or two, so any animals on them can make their way back to the water easily. After this you can compost it.
An ordinary garden rake is good for removing submerged weeds (the tangled mess under the water). Be very careful not to damage your plastic pond liner; you don’t want it to leak.
Also, if there are deciduous trees or plants near the pond, you need to clean off the dead leaves that are on the water’s surface. If you don’t, the leaves will rot and make the water cloudy.
Prepping your pond plants for winter
FAQ
What is a perennial pond?
Can fish survive winter in outdoor pond?
Which plants grow well in a pond?
Water lilies, irises, horsetail, water lettuce, water hyacinths, and water milfoil are all great options for a pond, especially in colder climates, as they can survive winter with minimal care and are low-maintenance. These plants can help keep your pond clean and healthy.
Which pond plants survive winter?
The following pond plants survive winter: water lilies, irises, horsetail, water lettuce, water hyacinths, and water milfoil. These plants not only survive the winter season but are also low-maintenance and contribute to keeping your pond clean and healthy year-round.
Will cold-hardy pond plants survive winter?
Enter cold-hardy pond plants! Cold-hardy perennials go dormant in Winter and return in Spring. You get all of the benefits of aquatic plants in your pond with minimal maintenance hassle. So, here are 10 cold-hardy pond plants that will survive winter and come back to life in Spring!
Why are pond plants important during winter?
Pond plants that survive winter are important because they help to oxygenate the water, provide a place for fish to hide from predators, and keep water clarity and oxygen levels stable. This makes them an essential part of any pond ecosystem.
Are pond plants evergreen?
Some pond plants, like water moss and water starwort, are evergreen. To allow them to perform photosynthesis throughout the winter, you need to keep them ice-free. Move them to areas in your pond that remain ice-free and ensure they receive enough light. When preparing your pond for winter, remove any dead plant material.
Do pond plants go dormant in winter?
Most pond plants go dormant in winter and the top growth dies back just like perennials grown in the ground. It is a good idea to trim, the tops back to just above the crown in late fall and remove the cuttings from the pond. This decreases the amount of organic matter in the pond. To be honest I don’t bother to do this, with one exception.