The shady pond does not have to be a drab looking pond. Careful selection of plants can offer a great variety of leaf texture and color. Keep in mind that all plants do require a minimum of light.

SHADE TOLERANT HARDY WATER LILYS (Zone 3 and higher)

Charlene Strawn Hardy Water Lily  - Flowers are 5 -7 inches across with a sweet fragrance.  Abundance of flowers. Green leaves 8 to 9 inches across.  New leaves have purple specks. Leaf Spread: 2  to 4'  feet . Full Sized 12 to 24 inches of water over the top of the pot. Flowers May – September.

Helvola miniature lily for patio ponds because of the small leaves and flowers.  This is definitely a miniature lily. Flowers and leaves are about the size of a US quarter. This miniature lily does well in patio gardens and barrels. Shade tolerant. Dwarf 6 to 12 inches of water over the top of the pot. Flowers May – September.

James Brydon Hardy Water Lily is a profuse bloomer with cup shaped flowers. Very fragrant.  It is a double blooming hardy lily of a rosy red color, shiny leaves. New foliage purplish and slightly mottled. Spreads 3-4 feet. Shade tolerant. Works in small to large ponds. Full Sized 12 to 24 inches of water over the top of the pot. Flowers May – September.

Joey Tomocik hardy water lily is a vibrant lemon yellow with flowers that rises high above the mottled foliage.  This lily has a very long blooming season.  Slight fragrance. Shade Tolerant. Spreads 3-4 feet. Works in medium to large ponds. Full Sized 12 to 24 inches of water over the top of the pot. Flowers May – September.

Perry's Baby Red hardy water lily 2 to 4 inch cup-shaped, deep-red blooms.  Small, dark green leaves spread 2 to 3 feet. Perfect for tub gardens or small size ponds. Slightly fragrant. Tolerates partial shade to full sun. Flowers May – September.

Pink Sensation hardy water lily has silvery-pink blooms. This lily is very popular because the flowers remain open into the evening hours. Slight fragrance on flowers that arise above the foliage. Flowers May – September. Spread 3 to 4 feet  Medium to large ponds.

Texas Dawn hardy water lily  has very bright yellow flowers are held up above the water.  Mottled leaves make a stunning contrast to the flowers.  Good bloomer. Shade tolerant  Slight fragrance. Spread 3 to 4 feet.

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Arrowhead Arum (Zone 4) grows 2' tall and flowers July and August. Delicate white flowers have bright yellow centers. Long, fleshy, arrowhead-shaped green leaves with pronounced veins on the undersides. Leaves can be up to 18 inches long and nearly six inches wide.

Arrowhead - double flowering Sagittaria (Zone 4)grows to 2' tall. Flowers July, August and September.  Grows 2 to 4' tall and winter hardy. Very showy pond plant.  North American native plant

Dwarf Bamboo – (Zone 6). The flowers are not very significant.

Lobelia Cardinalis – “Lobelia ‘Queen Victoria” (Zone 4) is by far the most popular of the Lobelias for the pond. It grows 2’ tall. The tall spiky flowers are an intense red color. The flowers provide lots of color for most of the summer. Beet red foliage is a nice contrast to the flowers. Cardinal Flower is one of my favorite pond plants because they attract hummingbirds and Butterflies. They bloom midsummer to early fall. Cardinal flower prefers minimal water over the top of the pot, it does best if the top of the pot is even with the water level.  In fact if planted too deep, the plant may deteriorate quickly.  Full sun, partial shade This plant can be potted, or the roots tucked into the rocks at ponds edge.

Blue Lobelia “Lobelia siphilitica” (Zone 4) grows 2 to 3' tall and blooms July – September. The blue flowers grow on tall spiky stems. The Blue Lobelia prefers to have the crown at the water level too.  Full sun to part shade. This plant can be potted, or roots tucked into the rocks of ponds edge.

Chameleon Plant  Houttuynia cordata variegate (Zone 5)   Grows 6 to 12” tall and flowers in May and June. The flowers are creamy white. Chameleon Plant prefers partial shade and the color of the leaves is more intense in shady ponds as opposed to being in full sun. In shady ponds one will see leaves that are dark green, creamy yellow and edged in a  pinkish red color. In sunny ponds the leaves will be dark green. Chameleon Plant does not like water over the crown, so it is best to set it in the pond so that the crown of the plant is level with or just below  the water line.  Thrives in sun or shade. This plant can be potted, or the rooted ends tucked into the rocks of a streambed or water fall.

Lizard's Tail (Zone 4) grows about 3' tall and is a North American native plant. The bright green foliage is accented with 4" - 6" long spikes of white flowers. Shade tolerant and very fragrant. It is easy to grow and winters well.  The flowers are very unique and cream colored. This plant can be potted, or the rooted ends tucked into the rocks of a streambed or water fall.

Marsh Marigold (Zone 3) The first sign of spring one sees in the pond is the Marsh Marigold coming in to bloom. The intense gold-yellow flowers brighten the pond in April. The plant grows up to 1’ tall. Prefers cooler water and light shade.

Pennywort Hydrocotlye vericillata (Zone 6) Shiny green leaver are 1 to 2 inches across. Plant grows 6 to 12 inches tall. Full sun to part shade. Light green foliage with cream colored edge. Forms a dense carpet. Good for areas of swift moving water like stream beds.  Sun to part shade. Keep pot even with the top of the water. This plant can be potted, or the rooted ends tucked into the rocks of a streambed or water fall.

Pickerel Rush Pontederia cordata (Zone 5) is the most popular of the pickerel rush. Deep Green calla-like leaves. Deep blue flowers on spikes.  Grows 2-3' high, Keep the pot even with the top of the water. Full sun to partial shade.

Primrose Creeper Ludwigia Peploides (Zone 6) The yellow flowers on Primrose Creeper persist most of the summer making this a favorite blooming plant. Flowering time is June-September. The foliage is ovate and shiny and as the name implies it creeps across the water. Some like to grow it in the waterfall and let it cascade down the rocks. Grown this way it discourages algae that grows on the rocks. This plant can be potted, or the rooted ends tucked into the rocks of a streambed or water fall.

Horsetail Rush equisetum hyemale (Zone 3) also known as scouring rush. Grows 3’ tall. The jointed stems are very distinctive. The plant has a cylindrical habit when grown in a container. It is evergreen and tolerates some shade. Prefers no more than 1 or 2 inches of water over the top of the pot. Sun or shade. This plant can be potted, or the rooted ends tucked into the rocks of a streambed or water fall.

Black Magic Taro (Zone 8)It grows about 4' tall and it is an incredible color. Some refer to the color as deep burgundy or violet –black. It is beautiful accent plant in the pond. Full sun to full shade. Keep the top of the pot even with the top of the water.  Although it is hardy to zone 8 it does very well in the house in a water filled saucer in front of a sunny window for the winter in colder climates.

Umbrella Palm Cyperus alternifolius (Zone 7) grows 4-5' tall. The stems are stiff and dark green with vertical bright yellow stripes and the stems are of cylindrical shape. While it will tolerate full sun to part shade. It is semi-evergreen in the winter. Over winters in the house very well in climates colder than zone 7. Salt tolerant.

Variegated Four Leaf Clover  Marsilea mutica (Zone 6) is a lily-like aquatic when placed in deeper water. Submerge 6 to 18 inches. (Place plant  on the bottom and the leaves should float on top of the water like a lily). The leaves are a distinct pattern of green, yellow and red.  This plant can be potted, or planted directly in the pond or bog. Full sun to shade

Watercress Nasturtium officinale (Zone 4)  if grown in the waterfall it will quickly cover the stones with a mass of small green leaves that will keep unsightly algae from growing on the stones, when it becomes over-grown it can be pulled or cut and fed to fish. (It’s good for them).  Watercress loves moving water so be sure to place it where the water is moving for sure success.  Tuck the roots under the stone and in the nooks and crannies of the stones near the side, but where the water will still flow past it.  Soon it will start growing and spreading out to cover all the stones. If you don’t like the stones totally covered, then simply remove some for fish food.  Full sun or part shade

Water Forget-Me-Not (Zone 3) is blooms in the spring and Autumn.  Sky blue flowers.   The creeping habit of the plant makes it a great plant to put at the waters’ edge.  Plant only grows to 6 inches tall. It is  a great plant for streambeds or shallower places in the pond where it can creep. The best performance is in the shade.

Water Lettuce (Zone 9)  Water Lettuce should not be put in the pond until the water temperature is at least 75 degrees. Water lettuce prefers shade during the heat of the day and may bleach out if put in the sun. This plant should be treated as an annual in the watergarden.