Water hawthorn as a bare-root plant?

[Shdwdrgn]

From what I've been able to dig up about water hawthorn, I think there's a good chance it will grow well in my pond, and I'd really love to have more plant cover over the Winter. What I cannot seem to find is information on if it can be planted bare-root? I don't use planters for anything in my pond, and ideally I would like to put the hawthorn in the edge rocks, just below the clusters of irises (which would be around 12-18 inches deep, well below any chance of freezing).

I've also seen mention of fertilizing these plants. Does this mean they will not feed off of fish waste like other plants, or is fertilizer only required for fish-free ponds?

 

[adavisus]

Water Hawthorn forms incredibly thin long delicate roots, very vulnerable to any fish grazing.

A fertilised plant might pop 30-40 blooms at a time and be in bloom eight months of the year, while a WH lacking fertility might struggle to bloom at all. Regards, andy

 

[Shdwdrgn]

I guess I'll just have to get some and see what happens. There is a lot of rock where the roots can grow through and still be protected from grazing, so they should be OK. Besides, the fish don't seem to be able to keep up with the growth of roots from the irises.

I'm also experimenting with growing calla lilies around my pond this year. I got a 3-pack of bulbs and placed them in the rocks where the bulb is mostly submerged. Earlier this week two of the bulbs were showing little nubs starting to grow out. I've never had any luck with callas in my flower beds, so I thought I'd give this a try before giving up on them.