Perennial Pond Plants?

[jtdiedam]

Are there such things? Looking for low maintence plants. I'm looking at getting lilies/lotus/hornwart/elephant ear/cat tail...and was wondering if any are able to be left in the pond over winter and have them return. Obviously it depends on the winter, but for the most part anyone have luck with plants returning each year? And what kinds/how to keep them living? Thanks!

 

[sissy]

depends on how harsh you winters are .I live near NC boarder so my plants have no problem coming back .I have canna's ,elephant ears ,lily and lotus

 

[jtdiedam]

I'm in Indiana, so not the harshest, but this past one was drawn out just like everyone else haha...I don't have a place to overwinter any plants and not looking to replace them year after year if possible

 

[sissy]

elephant ears will not make it without being taken in.Lilies if winter harder and dropped deep into the pond will make lotus not sure .

 

[jtdiedam]

elephant ears will not make it without being taken in.Lilies if winter harder and dropped deep into the pond will make lotus not sure .

Thanks! Are we able to transplant elephant ear into the ground under mulch for the winter? I wonder if that would help anything

 

[JBtheExplorer]

Get Horsetail Rush/Horsetail/Scouring Rush. Whichever name you prefer, its the same plant.

I brought most of mine indoors and left some outside and the stuff left outside is what lived. We had a couple weeks of below zero windchills, so it can definitely handle it! Most types of rush can handle the harsh winters, but my only experience is with Horsetail and Blue Arrows, both did great.

 

[sissy]

It may and may not survive .I had them at my house in NJ and I had to bring them in .There was 1 year that i left them in and covered them with 4 bags of mulch and they did not make it .You never know with winter .After that I wrapped the new bulbs in newspaper and put them in my garage .I used a basket and hung them from the rafters so the mice would not eat them .Did the same with my canna's .Elephant ear bulbs have to be planted close to the top of the soil to grow properly .The bulbs are not cheap so you will have to consider your choices .I know CE can answer your questions better since she lives in Indiana in Effigham

 

[Mmathis]

I missed where you live....

I'm pretty new at this myself, and most of the plants I've started have sorta been experiments to see what comes back & what doesn't. As well as which ones will tolerate deeper water vs needing to be in, but above the water, etc.

 

[sissy]

My cousin lives in Indiana also and it can get pretty bad winters .Maybe if you google plants for your area or ask your local nusery they can give you ideas .I use grasses as they really clean the pond .i know colleen uses yellow flag and it does great and marsh marigold that gets a pretty yellow flower but it needs cold winters to grow good

 

[j.w]

Hornwort will survive and Parrots Feather too.

 

[ashirley]

I live in SC but this winter we had temps in the single digits and all of my plants have come back. I have lotus and lillies, cattaila and parrots feather in the pond.

 

[haver79]

Im in Iowa, my cat tails are slowly coming back. Sunk my lizards tail and water iris to bottom of pond. And lilys 3.5 foot down for winter. They are coming back, though slowly, as we have had a cool spring. CE gave me some water clover last year and it is showing no signs of life. Parrots feather still alive but not doing much yet.

 

[addy1]

I did not sink my iris or lizards tail, it is coming back in the bog and in the pond, in the pond it is around 4 inches below surface, bog well it is at surface, so froze up pretty good. We hit -10 this winter. Lilies were around 18 inches down over winter, lotus left the where they live all year.
Arachanis is coming back great, same with parrots feather, lotus growing, lilies starting to finally send up leaves.

 

[taherrmann4]

elephant ears will not survive the winter outside even covered up under mulch, the bulb will rot. I bring my elephant ears in, just the bulb and place them in a box with newspaper after they have dried out.

 

[sissy]

I have had mine planted here for 10 years and even dug and divided them up and also given plants away .They are coming back up after all the heat we have had .They came back in Nj a couple of years when I had them as a nursery guy up there told me to put shredded paper on top of them and the put bags of mulch around the outside part of the plant crown and then fill the middle with wet shredded paper .Worked good until we had 1 really bad winter .That was the first house I owned .The second house it did not work as good .I think it had to do with the fact at the first house I had them planted against the foundation of the house and second house I put them out in a garden bed .Cement from basement got warm and saved them .It was the sunny side of the house