Pond Plants

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We have a pond on our property which we recently had espanded. Needless to say this ruined many of the plants growing along the edge. We have 5 domestic ducks that live there year around and some other water foul that stop by to visit. Alos we would like to eventually stock it with some fish.

I would love information from anyone out there of a good place to get cattails, and other water loving plants that are alos good for wildlife. I have found some at some nurseries, but the cost $3-10 a piece, and I would prefer not to have to spend lots of money on this project.

I am in Oregon and have lots of native berry plants that I would be willing to barter with, if anyone was interested.

Any suggestions on the water plants? Thanks.

-- Marti Dell (mdell@hevanet.com), January 12, 2001

Answers

Marti:

On introducing plants to ponds, I suspect it is a case of being careful what you ask for... Several years from now you may be wondering how to control the cattails and water lilies. When I had my pond put in, I toyed with the same idea, then decided to just let nature take its own course. Ducks, Canadian geese and fish seem to like it right well.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabok@aol.com), January 12, 2001.


If you are primarily managing for fish,you'll want to be a little careful of what you do.If you main intent is wildlife mgmt,plant away.

Sounds like you're wanting native plants.Good for you.Duck potato is a good one.Sagittaria latifolia.I have that in one pond and it's not become obnoxious.I don't know how it got there,but the pond is probably 10 years old anyway C.P.Danial's & sons carries it.They carry other good stuff too,for wildlife.I 800 822 5681

Another of my ponds had cattails.No problem there,but the cattle kept them down.It's probably 30 years old or more.

The third pond has brush mostly,at one end.I'm trying to picture whats there.Nope,can't access the file this morning!Some roses is all I can think of. But that's something to think of ,too Buttonbush is good here.That pond's been there 30+ years,too.No problem.

Alot of plants can be started from seed.Native grasses are good choices.I have spangle grass.I collected the seed roadside in MIssouri It takes moist area(another name is river oats).I'll have to go back to my notes on others,but I think my switch grass & little bluestem is suitable, too.Are these native to your area?

Does your fish & wildlife have wildlife pond recommendations? Call them and find out.They can probably line out wha'ts native for you,and where you can purchase seed or plants.That's where most of my information that I have on file has come from.

Here if you have more than 10 acres,they wii come and do a mgmt plan for you.So will the div of forestry,and SCS or whatever they call themselves now.

Ive had all three,then I look at all the recommendations with a grain of salt,and sort thru what I feel is appropriate and what isn't.

Like right now fescue conversion is the big too doo.As if spraying your whole farm with herbicide is better than having fescue.So I'm doing it a little at a time, my own way,converting (very slowly!) to warm season native grasses.

Just some suggestions.

-- sharon wt (wildflower@ekyol.com), January 12, 2001.


Thanks for the answers. Unfortunately our local Extension service is real poor. I live in a county that is primarily suburbs, except for the edges, and I live on one of the edges.

I'll tyr the fish and wildlife department, and the local forestry department too. We have lots of logging and forest management around here.

Thanks again.

Marti

-- Marti Dell (mdell@hevanet.com), January 12, 2001.


As others cautioned, be careful of the plant life you introduce. Cattails can take over and I'll never use elephant ear plants again due to their invasiveness. Oldheimers is getting best of me, but I contacted DNR or USFWS (?can't remember who) and they provided me a wonderful copy of Endangered Plants. Using that as a guide of what NOT to get, I'd go wading in creeks, ponds, etc. and bring home lilypads, pickerel weed, etc. I always got permission from landowners (including local county police when getting plants from their ditch.) I prefer to go in cooler weather to avoid bugs and snakes!

-- Marsha (CaprisMaa@aol.com), January 13, 2001.

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