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Not sure of your zone?
Zone Hardiness Chart
By clicking on the plant name you can see a photos of the plants
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| Sun |
Full day of sun |
| 1/2 Day |
At least a ½ a day of sun, but can take a full day of sun. |
| Shade |
Tolerates Shade very well
(Bright Light with no direct Sun) |
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| These plants are considered hardy for the zone that is listed after each variety name. If you are for instance in zone 7 like I am, any plant that has a zone number 7or less will be hardy in my pond.
The following chart will tell you which plants can be left in your pond for the winter if you do not add salt to your pond. If you add salt please refer to this link
salt test results for the list of plants and how much salt they can tolerate.
If you do add salt, simply remove the plant from the pond and plant in your flower garden for the winter if it is hardy for you. You can then dig it up once it starts to grow in the spring. Re-pot it in ordinary garden soil. Cover top of the soil with gravel and return it to the pond in the spring. Simply replace it back in the pond at the proper depth. OR you may bring the plant inside to a cool but above freezing area. Some will require a dormancy period and if you can store then at about 55*, that would be ideal.
Some of the plants on this part of the list and the list that says tropical shallow water plants can be grown inside for the winter, too. Plants like Umbrella, Papyrus, Water Celery, Hardy Orchid Arrowhead, and all the Taros are great examples. They do not need to be submerged either! Purchase trays (a kitty liter pan works great) and place the plants in the tray and keep a couple of inches of water in the tray at all time. Keep the tray in front of a sunny window until the water warms enough for them to go back into the pond in the spring.
This next group of plants is "lumped" together because they like 0" to 6" of water over the top of the pot. Specifically, that means that the water can be level with the top of the pot and up to 6" over the top of the pot.
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*NOTE the sale of some varieties of Loosestrife is banned in some states.
This next group of plants is "lumped" together because they like 0" to 6" of water over the top of the pot. Specifically, that means that the water can be level with the top of the pot and up to 6" over the top of the pot. These require warmer climates, high zone numbers to be left in the pond over the winter.
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| This group of plants only likes 0" to 4" of water over the top of their pots. Most are only hardy to zone 8. They can be brought in the house for the winter and treated like a houseplant. Place in a sunny window and keep the soil moist.
I like to use a clear plastic liner under the plant that I keep full of water at all times. A pretty bowl or dish will work equally as well.
Tropical shallow water plants are very sensitive to cold temperatures, so be sure to wait until the water is warmed up and danger of frost is past before returning them to the pond in the late spring.
The tropical shallow water plants are some of my favorite plants. I love the showy leaves of the Taro, especially the black variety. My water gardens always include Water Canna and Stargrass because I like how they bloom most of the summer.
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Lily-like aquatics like 6" to 12" of water over the top of the pot. They all have one thing in common: their leaves float out over the top of the pot and across the water, giving an air of elegance to the pond. Thus the category name, lily-like aquatics. The flowers are very unusual and elegant looking. Most have very unusual leaves. In zones where they are not hardy they can be brought inside the home for the winter. Place them in a deep container that has no holes so that the leaves can float away from the plant.
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This group of plants, know as floaters, do exactly what the name implies. They float on top of the water. The are great nutrient-eating plants and no pond is complete without them. Bring them in the house in the northern climates if they are not hardy for you. You can simply float them in water for the winter in a sunny window where they may continue to bloom for the winter. These plants do need sun and warmth in the winter months so put them in the warmest area of your home.
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This group of plants helps put oxygen in the water. They help in algae control buy using the nutrients that the algae feed on. They are great plants to have in the pond, as this is where the fish usually spawn. These are generally inexpensive plants to replace every year is they are not hardy for you.
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| I have not included lilies in this list because all hardy lilies are hardy to zone 3 and tropical lilies are hard to zone 8.
Tropical lilies can be over winterized as described under Tropical Shallow Water plants.
Lotus can be dropped to the bottom of the pond or brought inside and stored at around 55* to induce dormancy. They do need a dormant period in order to bloom their best the next year.
This zone hardiness chart is believed to be accurate. The severity of the winter could be a factor in hardiness. To be sure, subtract 1 number for your zone and they should be very safe for you to leave in your pond. |
