17+ Water Friendly Plants For Indoor and Outdoor Ponds

1. African Water Fern Plant

Scientific Name: Bolbitis heudelotii

Plant Type: Submerged Water Plant
Geographic Origin: Africa
Plant Size: 6 to 15 inches
Sun Exposure: Shade
Plant Zone: 9 to 11

This dark green submersible water plant thrives in shady locations and is perfect for oxygenating your pond. A robust perennial, the African Water Fern is a hardy plant that pops up yearly and offers protection and shelter to fish and aquatic life.

The African Water Fern has strong roots that can attach to floating wood or rocks and is easy to grow indoors or outdoors in fresh waterways and ponds. This plant does not grow well in salt water. The African Water Fern thrives in temperatures between 68 and 80 degrees and is an easy-to-care-for plant to spruce up your pond year after year.

2. Amazon Frogbit

Scientific Name: Limnobium laevigatum

Plant Type: Floating Water Plant
Geographic Origin: Central and South America
Plant Size: 6 to 20 inches
Sun Exposure: Prefer shade
Plant Zone: 4 to 10

This beautiful floating aquatic plant boasts heart-shaped greenery and tiny white summer-blooming flowers. They add color to your garden space and offer shade to fish and protection from predators. The roots of this floating plant also add filtration to the pond area.

Amazon Frogbit is a fast-growing plant that adapts well to various water conditions. It is easy to grow in outdoor ponds or indoor aquariums. However, it is also considered invasive in some states. Therefore, before planting this flower in your pond, check the local restrictions to ensure it is safe in your area. You should also keep plants well-trimmed to prevent overgrowth.

3. Amazon Sword Plant

Scientific Name: Echinodorus grisebachii

Plant Type: Submerged Water Plant
Geographic Origin: Central and South America
Plant Size: 12 to 23 inches
Sun Exposure: Mixed sun and shade
Plant Zone: 4 to 10

These leafy green water plants grow rooted to the bottom of outdoor ponds or interior aquariums and oxygenate the waterways, remove algae, and promote a cleaner pond. The Amazon Sword Plant enjoys the sunlight, but, it can also grow in shaded ponds.

This fast-growing plant prefers temperatures between 72° and 82°F and can easily tolerate hard or soft water. The lime green plant is best-suited for backgrounds because of its thick green leafy foliage and deep roots. It can thrive indoors or out and is a fabulous addition to any pond, aquarium, or garden area.

4. American Waterweed

Scientific Name: Elodea canadensis

Plant Type: Submersible Water Plant
Geographic Origin: North America
Plant Size: 0.25 feet
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Plant Zone: 4 to 10

This popular plant is a favorite among many pond owners and aquarium lovers for its easy maintenance and rapid growth. The American Waterweed thrives in full sun and cold waterways. It is ideal for ponds or aquariums for its beautiful coverage and helps to oxygenate and clean the waters.

This gorgeous plant offers dark green foliage and tiny light green flowers that bloom from mid-July to fall. Buds from the plant drop to the bottom of the water in the fall and produce new plants come spring.

5. Cattail

Scientific Name: Typha latifolia

Plant Type: Submersible Water Plant
Geographic Origin: Northern and Southern Hemispheres
Plant Size: 4 to 6 feet
Sun Exposure: Full sun or partial shade
Plant Zone: 3 to 10

This tall brown marsh plant provides the ideal backdrop for outdoor ponds. These brown, sausage-like cattails are not only pleasant to view. But, they also offer several benefits to wildlife, such as a food source, shelter, protection, and shade.

Cattails also make gorgeous indoor flower arrangements, while their long leaves are perfect for rug-making and woven chair seats. These wholesome perennials come back to your pond every year and make an attractive addition to your outdoor oasis.

6. Creeping Jenny

Scientific Name: Lysimachia nummularia

Plant Type: Marginal
Geographic Origin: Western Asia and Europe
Plant Size: 2 to 4 inches
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Plant Zone: 4 to 9

This easy-to-grow plant makes an ideal flowering ground cover for an outdoor pond. Creeping Jenny offers bright summer foliage that adds vibrancy and color. This perennial will return yearly and thrives best in wet soil.

The robust plant spreads quickly and is considered an invasive species in some areas. So, before purchasing Creeping Jenny for your pond, check if you can plant it in your area. Keep it well-trimmed to prevent it from taking over the rest of any ground cover around your pond.

7. Duckweed

Scientific Name: Lemnoideae

Plant Type: Floating Water Plant
Geographic Origin: North America
Plant Size: 0.3 inches
Sun Exposure: Sun
Plant Zone: 4 to 10

This floating plant is one of the tiniest aquatic plants that produces small edible flowers ducks love to gobble up. Duckweed is also suitable for indoor aquariums. However, it is crucial to observe this quick-spreading plant because it can sometimes cover the entire pond or aquarium, causing a lack of oxygen to fish and aquatic life below.

Because this plant is so invasive, pruning often is critical. Placing Duckweed in shady areas or under larger plants can also help to slow down its growth. Duckweed can also be pulled and used as livestock feed for chickens, cattle, ducks, and pigs.

8. Eelgrass

Scientific Name: Zostera marina

Plant Type: Submersible Water Plant
Geographic Origin: East Asia
Plant Size: 4 feet
Sun Exposure: Prefer shade
Plant Zone: 4 to 10

This lush plant features long leaves perfect for pond backdrops and shelter to waterfowl, such as ducks and geese. The deep-rooted leaves provide shelter for fish and aquatic life.

Eelgrass offers small white flowers that float along the water surface, adding color to your pond or larger indoor aquariums. However, they can become out of control and may take over your pond and aquarium if not trimmed often.

9. Fanwort

Scientific Name: Cabomba caroliniana

Plant Type: Submersible Water Plant
Geographic Origin: Southern United States
Plant Size: 3 to 10 feet
Sun Exposure: Sun and Partial Shade
Plant Zone: 4 to 10

This freshwater submersible plant features large floating green leaves with tiny white flowers to add color to your backyard pond. Fanwort offers several other features to your pond, including oxygenating and purifying waterways and providing shelter for fish and aquatic life.

Fanwort water plants bloom from May until September and come in several variations ranging from pink to purple flowers. Best suited for outdoor ponds because of their long stems, Fanwort makes an excellent addition to your backyard.

10. Hornwort

Scientific Name: Ceratophyllum demersum

Plant Type: Submersible Water Plant
Geographic Origin: Central and South America
Plant Size: 120 inches
Sun Exposure: Sun with partial shade
Plant Zone: 3 to 10

This submersible plant is ideal for indoor and outdoor ponds and features thin green leaves. Hornwort also oxygenates the water and reduces algae.

They are easy to grow and spread quickly, so they need regular trimming to prevent overgrowth within your pond or aquarium. This lime green aquatic plant makes a great addition to your waterways.

11. Lotus

Scientific Name: Nelumbo nucifera

Plant Type: Floating water plant
Geographic Origin: India and Asia
Plant Size: 6 to 20 inches
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Plant Zone: 5 to 10

This exotic water-friendly flowering plant features large floating green leaves and brightly-colored pink blossoms. The fragrant flowers and leaves are attached to long stems and float in water. Lotus plants make a beautiful addition to your outdoor pond and offer ornamental views with leaves up to 2 feet wide.

A perennial plant, the Lotus thrives with sunlight and needs dirt at the bottom to establish its roots. Because of its large size, this exotic plant is best suited for outdoor use and offers breathtaking water views.

12. Mosaic Flower

Scientific Name: Ludwigia sedoides

Plant Type: Floating Water Plant
Geographic Origin: Central and South America
Plant Size: 2 to 3 inches
Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Plant Zone: 6 to 11

This emergent plant features attractive red buds with green diamond-shaped foliage. The eye-catching flowers float along the surface of the water. At night, the flowers close and re-open in the daylight to bright cup-shaped yellow flowers.

Mosaic flowers are suitable for outdoor ponds and indoor aquariums and offer color to your waterways. Just be sure to trim them back so they don’t entirely cover the surface of the water, leaving creatures and other plants below without access to sunlight.

13. Mosquito Fern

Scientific Name: Azolla

Plant Type: Floating water plant
Geographic Origin: Western USA and Canada
Plant Size: 2 to 3 inches
Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Plant Zone: 7 to 11

This small free-floating water fern is a popular choice of aquatic plant for outdoor ponds or indoor aquariums. It features tiny two-lobed bright-green leaves with a hint of purple when the sun shines on them.

Planting Mosquito Ferns in your pond offers many benefits, including reducing algae growth, discouraging mosquitoes from laying eggs on the waterways, and helping to clean the water. This fast-growing fern needs frequent trimming to prevent covering the entire water surface and affecting the survival of aquatic life below.

14. Rain Lily

Scientific Name: Zephyranthes

Plant Type: Marginal Water Plant
Geographic Origin: South America
Plant Size: 6 to 12 inches
Sun Exposure: Full sun
Plant Zone: 7 to 11

Rain lilies are the perfect plant to add to the edge of your outdoor pond, offering a variety of colors to your backyard from white, pink apricot, and lavender blooms. These gorgeous flowers bloom from spring to the end of summer, especially after rainfall when they open widely to display their colors.

Depending on the zone, some gardeners leave their rain lilies in the ground over winter. Meanwhile, others dig up the bulbs and replant them in early spring.

15. Rough Horsetail

Scientific Name: Equisetum hyemale

Plant Type: Submersible Water Plant
Geographic Origin: North America and Europe
Plant Size: 2 to 5 feet
Sun Exposure: Full sun and partial shade
Plant Zone: 4 to 9

This submersible plant grows well in moist conditions and thrives in ponds and standing outdoor waterways. It is ideal for swampy areas where other plants do not do well and offers a vertical backdrop to your outdoor garden space.

To help control overgrowth, plant Horsetail in a submersible container to reduce its spread. Despite the name, this plant is also toxic to livestock, including cattle and horses.

16. Umbrella Palm

Scientific Name: Cyperus alternifolius

Plant Type: Submersible Water Plant
Geographic Origin: Taiwan, Australia, Hainan
Plant Size: 2 to 6 feet
Sun Exposure: Full sun to partial shade
Plant Zone: 1 to 8

Another popular plant for your outdoor pond is the Umbrella Palm. This impressive plant makes an ideal backdrop that grows up to 6 feet high and offers breathtaking displays of tropical-looking foliage.

Because this hardy plant can grow and spread quickly, plant it in a submersible container to decrease its spread. The Umbrella Palm makes a charming addition to any backyard pond or garden.

17. Water Forget-Me-Not

Scientific Name: Myosotis scorpioides

Plant Type: Marginal Water Plant
Geographic Origin: United Kingdom
Plant Size: 6 to 12 inches
Sun Exposure: Full sun or partial shade
Plant Zone: 5 to 9

These pretty flowers come in shades of blue or pink and grow well in rocky water and borders around outdoor ponds. They add vibrant shades of color to the edges of your pond and can also be grown indoors in sunny locations.

These fragrant flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds with their sweet nectar to outdoor ponds. Blooming from mid-spring to early fall, the Water Forget-Me-Not is an excellent addition to your waterways.

18. Water Hyacinth

Scientific Name: Eichhornia crassipes

Plant Type: Floating Water Plant
Geographic Origin: Central and South America
Plant Size: 6 inches
Sun Exposure: Partial sun
Plant Zone: 8 to 11

These plants are easy-to-grow in still water, such as in outdoor ponds and aquariums. For outdoor ponds, plant Water Hyacinths in early spring by scattering them on the water surface after the last sign of frost.

These fast-spreading plants thrive in sunny conditions offering purple blooms with blueish-green summer foliage. Water Hyacinth makes an attractive addition to your indoor gardens in sunny locations. Trim them often to prevent rapid spreading.

19. Water Iris

Scientific Name: Iris pseudacorus

Plant Type: Submersible Water Plant
Geographic Origin: Europe
Plant Size: 1.5 to 2 feet
Sun Exposure: Full sun or partial shade
Plant Zone: 5 to 9

There are a number of types of iris that can grow in wet soil. However, there is only one true Water Iris that performs very well in swamps, bogs, or at the edges of ponds.

Featuring long pointed stems and purple or yellow blooms, the Water Iris makes a brilliant addition to outdoor ponds. This showy plant adds color to the edges of your pond and thrives partly submerged in the water. However, the Water Iris is toxic to pets.

20. Water Lily

Scientific Name: Nymphaeacaea

Plant Type: Floating Water Plant
Geographic Origin: Central and South America
Plant Size: 2 inches to 1 foot
Sun Exposure: Sun or partial shade
Plant Zone: 3 to 11

This beautiful summer-blooming plant features attractive white, purple, or pink floating flowers with yellow centers and large, round green leaves. The long, submerged stems and parts of the plant provide habitats for many aquatic creatures.

Water Lilies are not only attractive and spruce up your outdoor pond. They also aid in the ecosystem of your waterways by providing shade and shelter to marine life, preventing algae, and keeping the pond cleaner.

21. Water Poppy

Scientific Name: Hydrocleys nymphoides

Plant Type: Floating Water Plant
Geographic Origin: Central and South America
Plant Size: 6 to 16 inches
Sun Exposure: Full or partial shade
Plant Zone: 9 to 11

The perfect addition to your fishpond, the Water Poppy features floating blooms in shades of yellow, helps to clean the water, and provides oxygen to aquatic life. Water Poppies also provide shade for fish below and are an ideal choice of plant for your outdoor ponds or indoor aquariums.

This plant produces thick, shiny leaves that grow to be 2 to 4 inches long. It is a fast-growing plant that needs to be watched so that it doesn’t block sunlight from reaching the bottom of the pond.