Water Plants at Bliss
Acorus Gramineus Variegatus ‘Sweet Flag’
Acorus Gramineus Variegatus is a hardy pond plant with, as the name suggests, variegated silvery green leaves with creamy-white stripes. Also known as the Variegated Japanese Sweet Flag, it is excellent for borders & rockeries as well as being a water plant. It will grow up to 30cm in height in part shade to full sun & is frost hardy.
Aponogeton Distachyos ‘Water Hawthorn’
This is a water-lily-like plant with dark green strap-like floating leaves. It has white perfumed flowers in the cooler months. It loves the cold & is good for Winter coverage. It is one of the few water plants to flower at this time. In warmer waters (20 deg celcius or more) the plant can go dormant. Prefers semi shade. Ideal for pond depths of 20-40cm.
Azolla Rubra
Azolla, also known as mosquito fern, duckweed fern, fairy moss and water fern is a free floating aquatic fern with small waxy upper leaves. It grows quite rapidly in warm water and will change colour from green to browny/red throughout winter months. Forms a lovely ‘carpet’ effect across the surface of the water (and when you get too much it can be used as an excellent a garden mulch!).
Bacopa Caroliniana ‘Lemon Bacopa’ or ‘Water Hyssop’
A great water plant for smaller ponds, container water gardens or patios. The leaves are succulent, smell of lemon if crushed and are fairly thick. Small dainty blue flowers (1 to 1.5cm) arrive in Summer and stay through to Autumn. This plant is a good oxygenating plant and habitat for fish. Can be grown fully submerged roughly 40cm’s deep. A great aquatic plant for Canberra!
Bacopa Monniera
‘Hyssop’
A native aquatic plant, this water Hyssop is an excellent water plant for shallow or deep ponds. It has dainty white flowers in Summer through to Autumn. It is also known as the Memory Herb and is sometimes used for medicinal purposes.
Can be planted up to 40cm deep, is a great oxygenating plant and habitat for tadpoles. A great water plant for Canberra!
Canna Tropicanna
Tropicanna has striking foliage & gives colour even when it’s not in flower. It has bright orange flowers which blaze from Summer to late Autumn.
It is a stunning plant around the ponds edge or as a mass planted backdrop. It can grow in full sun to partial shade.
Colocasia Esculenta ‘Amazon Queen’
Also known as ‘Elephant Ears’ this is a popular elegant aquatic plant with metallic, purple to green leaves & darker stems. An excellent pond plant which blossoms with yellow flowers in late Summer.
It can grow to 2 metres & prefers semi-shade. Leaves are frost tender & in colder climates tends to go dormant in Winter.
Colocasia Esculenta
‘Black Magic’
A widely grown tuberous water plant with beautiful, large leaf stalks supporting heart shaped purple/black leaves. Black Magic makes a wonderful statement when fully grown & the leaves are an excellent contrast to other green leaved varieties. A great plant for shallow ponds or wet boggy areas. Must not be allowed to dry out. Grows up to 1.5m in height & prefers full sun to semi-shade. Can go as far as 20cm deep into your pond. In cold areas it is best to have somewhere a little protected from frost.
Cyperus Alternifolius ‘Umbrella Grass’
Cyperus Alternifolius or ‘Umbrella Grass’ has graceful dark green, umbrella-like heads. This water plant will grow up to 1m in height & likes full sun or a moderately shaded position. It is also frost tolerant.
Suited to pond edges and shallow areas up to 20cm in depth.
Cyperus Papyrus
‘Egyptian Papyrus’
Cyperus Papyrus is a tall sedge (1.5 – 2.4m) of the ancient Egyptians. It is a very popular plant & does well at the waters edge or in a boggy ground. It’s leafless triangular stems are topped with a dense head of fine branchlets. It prefers full sun and a mild climate.
Ideal for pond edges and will go as deep as 40cm.
Cyperus Prolifer or
‘Dwarf Papyrus’
Dwarf Papyrus is an evergreen dwarf water plant with grass-like stems ending in tassel like blooms.
It grows up to 45cm in height. Will grow in part shade to full sun.
Gratiola Peruviana
‘Austral Brooklime’
Austral Brooklime is a prostrate native water plant with pale green foliage. It has dainty pale pink flowers, and is shade tolerant. It is native to the Cotter and Murrumbidgee Rivers around Canberra. It will grow in boggy ground or shallow water. The perfect water plant for the Canberra region!
Hibiscus Coccinea
‘Water Hibiscus’
This is a perennial plant growing up to 2m tall. It has attractive multi-lobed leaves that are similar in appearance to cannabis leaves. Fabulous scarlet red hibiscus flowers appear in late Spring to early Summer.
In winter they will go dormant and can be cut back before they take off again in Spring. Frost tolerant.
Hydrocleys Nymphoides
‘Water Poppy’
A spreading water plant with oval to round leaves. It produces lemon/yellow flowers with black centres (7cm diameter) in late Spring through Summer. Prefers full sun but will grow in shade.
A Zone 4 plant, meaning it is ideal for depths of 20-40cm.
Hydrocotyle Verticillata ‘Shield Pennywort’
Shield Pennywort is a native creeping water plant with round notched leaves on a central stem, similar to that of a lily pad. It will grow in damp conditions or shallow water (10cm), with the leaves stretching out above the water.
Another great aquatic plant for Canberra!
Iris Ensata Varieties ‘Japanese Iris’
A hardy water iris, will grow up to 1m tall. Very large flat, ruffled blooms up to 15cm across. Can be used as cut flower. Grows in part shade to full sun. Frost tolerant as it dies down over winter and renews in Spring. You’ll also find that they are virtually pest and disease free. Japanese Iris are useful for slightly damp or boggy spots in the garden or the edges of a pond. A great water plant for Canberra!
Iris versicolor
‘Gerald Darby’
Gerald Darby is a lovely hybrid water Iris from North America. New Spring growth has deep purple tones at the base fading to green leaf tips. This is then complimented by a mass of slender multi-branched flower stems producing numerous 7cm violet-blue blooms.
Grows up to 60cm in height & prefers full sun to part-shade. Will thrive in the shallows of your pond – up to 20cm deep.
Lepironia Articulata
A perennial native sedge with straight grey-green stems to 2.5m in height. Lepironia has a small dark brown flower spike near the top of the stem and grows in water or boggy conditions. Great habitat for water birds.
Prefers full to part sun. A Prolific water plant around the Thirlmere Lakes in the Southern Highlands of NSW.
Lythrum Salicaria
‘Purple Loosestrife’
A hardy, clump forming water plant that can grow up to 90cm tall. Will happily grow in part shade to full sun and has slender spikes of bright pinkish-mauve flowers in Summer. The leaves often turn bright red in Autumn.
They are frost tolerant since they die down and go dormant over Winter. Seen growing in streams around Canberra.
Marselia Mutica
‘Nardoo’
A gorgeous native water plant with attractive clover-like leaves that float on the water’s surface. Green leaves with a striking rustic brown pattern. A deep water plant that can submerge in water up to 60cm deep.
Will grow in semi-shade to full sun. Frost tolerant as it dies down and goes dormant over Winter.
Myriophyllum Variafolium
‘Variable Water Milfoil’
A vigorous native water plant with dark green plumes on stems which trail across the water surface. Leaves can vary in shape & tip growth is highlighted with small pink-red buds & flowers in Spring and Summer. Ideal for protection & spawning of fish.
Submerge from 0-40cm deep – great oxygenating plant. Prefers full sun to semi-shade. Perfect pond plant for Canberra!
Restio Tetraphyllus
‘Tassel Grass’
Restio Tetraphyllus, commonly known as Tassel Grass is a hardy, evergreen native water plant that can reach up to 1.5m tall. It has unusual bright green, finely divided feathery stems and will grow in part shade to full sun. It’s a great addition to a cut flower arrangement also. Frost hardy. Can grow in shallow water or in the garden. You’ll often see this aquatic plant growing near waterways around Canberra.