7 Best Pond Plants for Small Ponds (Plus What to Avoid in California)

Written by David S.

Plant	Category	Role	Sun	Notes
Iris (blue flag, yellow flag)	Emergent	Height, early color	Sun to part shade	California-safe, native options available
Native rush / zebra rush	Emergent	Height, dragonfly habitat	Sun to part shade	California-safe (Juncus, zebra rush)
Hardy water lily	Floating-leaf	Shade, surface cover	Full sun	California-safe, prune to contain
Lotus	Floating-leaf	Bold foliage	Full sun	Fine but vigorous, keep potted
Hornwort	Oxygenator	Oxygen, algae control	Any	California-safe native, plant this one
Pickerel rush	Marginal	Edge color, pollinators	Sun to part shade	California-safe
Water hyacinth	Floating	Do not plant	n/a	AVOID in California, invasive noxious weed
Eurasian water-milfoil	Oxygenator	Avoid	n/a	AVOID in California, use hornwort instead

Small ponds or barrel ponds are lovely additions to an outdoor space. They attract a fantastic variety of wildlife who come to drink from them. Those critters include birds, bees, and butterflies. Setting up a barrel pond or small plastic pond is not difficult, especially since we carry an array of small pond kits that contain everything you need to create an outdoor water feature. All you have to do is add plants. In this article, we go over a few plants that are ideal for small ponds.

Emergent Plants

These are plants that live in or out of water. They generally live near water and spend part of their days or weeks submerged or on dry land. They include:

1. Iris. True aquatic iris include red flag iris, yellow flag iris, rabbit ear iris, and blue flag iris. Iris are beautiful early bloomers that add color to ponds. They attract bees and butterflies, and other pollinators. Iris are California-safe, and you can browse our outdoor plants for the varieties we carry.

2. Rushes. Lead with a native rush or sedge like Juncus, which is California-safe and gives you the same vertical structure. Note that flowering rush (Butomus umbellatus) is invasive in parts of the US, so choose a native rush or sedge like Juncus. Zebra rush (Scirpus zebrinus, 4 to 6 feet) is another good option. Rushes make lovely centerpieces to water gardens. Though they are tall, they will fit into a small pond or barrel pond. These taller plants play an essential role in attracting dragonflies to your pond. The naiads use these emergent rushes to climb from the water to pupate and emerge as adults.

Floating-Leaf Plants

3. Floating-leaf plants include lilies, such as the fringed water lily. These can spread to three feet in width, so don’t be afraid to prune them back. Many pollinators will use the leaves as a landing pad to drink water from the pond. Frogs will use the leaves both as a place for shade and as a roosting place while hunting.

There are a wide array of lilies for small ponds. Those include lotus as well. Some lily and lotus become massive, so be sure to read the label when you shop for floating-leaf plants. Non-native lotus is especially vigorous, so keep it potted and contained.

Oxygenators

Oxygenators are plants that put oxygen into the water. They are a must for any pond regardless of its size. These plants keep the water healthy, and they keep it from stagnating. When you use oxygenators in your small pond, you don’t need a pump or a filter because these plants help to add oxygen and remove harmful chemicals. They include:

4. Hornwort. This is the oxygenator to actually plant. It is a California-safe native. These submerged plants are feathery, and their stalks are soft and flexible. They spread like crazy, so you will have to keep them in check by cutting them back.

5. Eurasian water-milfoil is branched and similar in look to hornwort, but avoid it in California. It can be invasive and is often not available. It carries Cal-IPC‘s highest invasiveness rating, so choose hornwort instead. You can check with our plant experts about oxygenators for your pond.

Marginal Plants

These are plants that are used to getting wet. In nature, you’d find these plants along the edge of streams, lakes, and ponds. They include:

6. Pickerel rush (24 to 30 inches tall). Plant just above the surface or fully submerge them. You can divide them if the clumps become too large. Pickerel rush is California-safe and brings edge color and pollinators.

7. Water hyacinth.

Planting Water Plants in Your Pond or Barrel Pond

Each plant you place in your small pond should be in a small pot. 4-inch pots for plants that stay small and 6 to 8 inch pots for plants that develop more extensive root systems. When the plant becomes too large for the pot, divide the root mass. Either discard or repot the divided root system. NOTE: some of these plants are invasive, and you want to dispose of them properly. Check with your local waste company about how to dispose of invasive plants.

Adjust the height of the pot based on the depth of the pond. Many of the ponds that I have designed or installed had varying depths. The center of the pond was deeper than the water along the margin. In a barrel pond or small garden pond, you may have only one level. To overcome that, use small bricks to elevate the pot to the correct water depth. A cinder block also works to create a broader shelf for several pots.

Soil for Ponds

Bagged soil is available. The best soil to add to pond pots is heavy clay soil or heavy loams. The soil must stay in the pot so that the water remains clean. Clay soils do a fantastic job of that. You can also add heavy loam to the pots and then cover it with a thick layer of pea-gravel.

Discouraging Invasive Pond Weeds

Pond weeds need light, just like regular plants. Allow your floating plants to cover up to 70 percent of the water surface. They will shade out most aquatic weeds.

Adding Fish to Your Pond

Small ponds need only a few fish. Mosquito fish are an excellent choice. These are small guppies that thrive in ponds. I do not recommend adding goldfish to small ponds. Goldfish, while beautiful, do not stop growing and will outgrow your pond fairly quickly. Larger fish also attract predators such as heron and raccoons. It is heartbreaking to wake up and discover something significant has waffled through your pond looking for fish and uprooted or broken your pond plants. You can obtain mosquito fish through your county mosquito abatement program (usually.) You do not need a filter for mosquitofish.

Pond Placement

Ponds will thrive in afternoon shade. Too much light means algae blooms, and that can kill off your plants and certainly any fish in your pond.

The ingredients for a thriving pond are clean water, healthy plants, and just the right amount of sunlight. Choose plants that fit together both in terms of height and growing conditions. Be sure to start small. By that, we mean not to overplant the pond. Allow the plants that you choose to mature and expand. Many aquatic plants will spread. If you plant too many plants at once, they will overcrowd each other, and some may die.

We offer pond kits, barrel ponds, and liners, along with an assortment of aquatic plants. Small ponds are an excellent addition to porches, patios, and outdoor living spaces. You can add a pump and lights or keep it natural. If a small pond or barrel pond is on your “bucket” list, stop by and browse our selection and take advantage of our plant experts.

Frequently Asked Questions

What plants can go in a pond?

Small ponds do best with a mix of four types: emergent plants like iris and native rushes, floating-leaf plants like hardy water lilies, oxygenators like hornwort, and marginal plants like pickerel rush for the edges. A mix of all four keeps the pond balanced and the water clear.

What are the best plants for a small pond?

For a small or barrel pond in California, good picks are a hardy water lily for surface shade, a native iris or pickerel rush for color, and hornwort as an oxygenator. Start with just a few and let them fill in, since many aquatic plants spread.

How do you plant pond plants?

Put each plant in its own pot, 4-inch pots for small plants and 6 to 8 inch pots for bigger root systems, using heavy clay soil or loam topped with pea gravel so the soil stays put. Raise the pot on bricks or a cinder block to set it at the right depth, and divide the roots when a plant outgrows its pot.

Do pond plants need soil?

Most potted pond plants grow best in heavy clay soil or heavy loam, which stays in the pot and keeps the water clean, while oxygenators like hornwort float free and need no soil at all.

Which pond plants should you avoid in California?

Avoid water hyacinth and Eurasian water-milfoil in California, both are invasive. Water hyacinth is a state-listed noxious weed targeted by a government eradication program in the Delta, so choose a hardy water lily and hornwort instead.

Sources:

• California Invasive Plant Council, Water Hyacinth profile
• Cal-IPC, Don’t Plant a Pest (aquatic)
• California State Parks, Division of Boating and Waterways, Delta invasive plant control
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, water hyacinth in the Delta
• Cal-IPC, Eurasian water-milfoil profile

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