Adding Plants to Your Koi Pond, Water Lilies, Lotus, and Other Pond Plants

Now that you are ready to choose plants for your Koi Carp fish pond your possibilities are endless.  There are absolutely no limits to your choices.  Just about any Koi pond with an area of still water can be home for a few water lilies or a beautiful lotus.  You will want to grow underwater plants because they are important to the biological functions they provide for your pond.  On your Koi pond's margin,  for example,  you can plant a clump of  Japanese Irises. 

When choosing pond plants, look for those that will blend with your Koi pond's design as well as the rest of your yard.  If your Koi pond is small, think about adding a dwarf lotus, or choose a variety of water lily that will not overtake your Koi fish pond.  If you want to make your Koi pond an integral part of your overall landscape, you may want to choose water lilies and lotus with colors that are repeated in other areas of your garden.

Remember, too, that light affects how we see color.  If your yard and Koi pond are in a somewhat sunny location, hot colors such as reds, oranges, and bright yellows will stand out.  If, however, your garden is somewhat shady, you can choose cool blues, pinks, and whites.  Whites, especially will seem to glimmer as the sun goes down in the evening, creating a peaceful effect in your Koi fish pond.  You can choose from a variety of water lilies, from those that are hardy to those water lilies that are only tropical in nature.  Water lillies can come in a variety of sizes and colors.  In the tropical water lilly you can have colors not seen in a hardy water lily collection.

Lotus, once established, are a very hardy pond plant for your Koi fish pond.   There are many varieties of Lotus on the market.  Some can get quite large, but they are also available in dwarf and semi-dwarf sizes.  The spell of the Nile still hovers around the blooms of this pond plant.  There is a perfect type of beauty in the leaf, bud, and open flower of the Lotus.

Choose oxygenating plants, such as Anacharis, one of the BEST oxygenators for all ponds. Or, perhaps you will want to use another pond plant, such as Java Fern.  This plant is considered to be one of the most beautiful of all aquatic plants with attractive green flowing leaves. Shallow water and bog plants such as snowflakes can enhance the beauty of any Koi fish pond.  Another shallow water plant, the Water Sensitivity Plant, is very easy to grow and will make an interesting conversation piece.  This plant, when touched, is shy and will close it's leaves.  It does have a wonderful flotation system of bulbous material it uses to gracefully spread across the water.  In addition, this pond plant will add excitement to your Koi fish pond as it has a bright yellow flower that holds high above its sensitive leaves and reflects into the water.

Keep in mind that most plants will not bloom all season, except of course for annuals, so when adding plants to your Koi pond, try to include those that have attractive foliage as well to provide interest when the flowers have faded.

Water lily leaves, for instance, have interesting patterns that change every day.  Lotus leaves are fluted and shiny so when it rains, the leaves capture the raindrops.  Floating plants can have leaves that resemble little green snowflakes, lettuce or clover.  While you will want to have a variety of plants around your pond, try not to go overboard by planting one of everything.  If you repeat one or two plants or perhaps echo one or two colors, shapes, or textures in varying spots,  it will make for a more interesting arrangement.  

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