What kind of plants are these?

[Mazu]

We have cut back the lily pads so as to not have has much decomposing over winter. We cut these ones back and they have simply grown back (it’s been a warmer then usual past couple of weeks)
My question/concern is if these ones are doing more good than harm? Going into winter I am trying to minimize the plant matter getting into the water. But these may be beneficial to keeping water chem in balance?

 

[Lisak1]

They appear to be irises, if you mean the green growth. They'll be fine... they stand up pretty straight even when they die back.

 

[BKHpondcritters]

I agree - some kind of iris. As long as the leaves stay short & don't flop over into the water they should be fine.

 

[JBtheExplorer]

I'd probably leave them be. If you want to cut them back now or at any point in the future, you always can, but I don't think they'll be a problem for you.

 

[Mazu]

Thank you all for the responses. I never saw blooms on them. There are a few on a shallow shelf and now with all the other plants cut back I can see their roots spread out over the rocks. I’m hoping that they help with the nitrates.

 

[Lisak1]

@Mazu - any plant will help with nitrates, but not so much in the cold weather.

Irises may not bloom if they are planted too deeply. These look like very new plants - did you have a bigger clump of irises near by?

What zone are you in?

 

[Mazu]

@Mazu - any plant will help with nitrates, but not so much in the cold weather.

Irises may not bloom if they are planted too deeply. These look like very new plants - did you have a bigger clump of irises near by?

What zone are you in?

Zone 5. And yes there is a group growing on a shallow shelf (in the water)
I don’t expect any action over winter, just trying to determine what needs to get cut down, or pulled out. The three original GFs have given us babies and I worry there is too many fish for the nitrate load, so I’m trying to minimize the dead material going into winter. I’ve been testing water weekly since the newbies showed up but no real changes there, the pond seems to be pretty well established.

 

[JamieB]

I’ve noticed my iris don’t bloom if they don’t get enough sunlight, and they don’t bloom if they are lacking specific nutrients, of which I don’t know off the top of my head. I’ve got some they put up leaves every year, but haven’t bloomed in a few years, presuming it’s due to too much shade or I need to fertilize. But we didn’t get to that area much the past year with a working mower, so the weeds would just be bigger.