Whether big or small, ponds are a brilliant addition to any garden if you’re looking to attract more wildlife. Insects, birds, and small amphibians and mammals all appreciate a reliable source of water for drinking, bathing, and more – and ponds are easier to incorporate into a space than you might think.
The best way to elevate your backyard pond and make it super enticing for curious creatures is to add plenty of plants around it. From tall grasses to nectar-rich blooms, they can provide all sorts of additional benefits to visiting wildlife, be it shelter or sustenance. And, of course, they will also make the area more beautiful for you to look at.
Here, experts share their recommendations for what to plant, and why. If creating a wildlife pond is on your to-do list, or you’re looking to improve one you already have, this guide is sure to help.
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1. Blue Flag Iris – for jewel-toned blooms atop sturdy stems
(Image credit: Gerry Bishop / Alamy Stock Photo)
Mary Phillips of the National Wildlife Federation recommends planting blue flag iris (Iris virginica) around a wildlife pond. She highlights how the thick, upright foliage provides excellent cover and shelter for a variety of animals.
The strong stems are also ideal for dragonflies and damselflies to perch on and for their larvae to crawl up when they are ready to emerge from the water, she says.
And don’t forget about their vibrant blooms. ‘Showy, nectar-rich violet-blue flowers are a major draw for a range of pollinators, including bees (especially bumblebees), butterflies, and hummingbirds,’ Mary says. What’s more, the rhizomes and dense root systems of blue flag irises help to stabilize the soil and prevent erosion along the pond’s edge, she points out.
Mary recommends planting them in full sun to part shade in clay to loamy soil. ‘Leaving the stems standing in fall provides overwintering sites for beneficial insects; they can be cut back in spring after pollinators emerge.’
Mary Phillips
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Head of Native Plant Habitat & Certifications at the National Wildlife Federation
Mary is an ambassador for native plants. Her work ensures all habitat programs and resources are rooted in sustainable practices and the latest science.
2. Switchgrass – a low-maintenance pick that will provide shelter to wildlife
(Image credit: Chris Lawrence / Alamy Stock Photo)
Mary also adds switchgrass to our list, a type of ornamental grass, explaining that it provides essential habitat and cover for fireflies and their larvae, as well as shelter for other wildlife, such as frogs, turtles, birds, and small mammals. It’s also a larval host plant for multiple species of skipper butterflies, she adds.
The ‘dense, fibrous root system anchors the soil along the pond’s edge, preventing erosion and keeping the water from becoming murky, while also providing a secure area for dragonflies to lay eggs,’ she says.
It’s also pretty to look at, providing texture to the garden in winter, and purple, cloud-like seedheads in late summer to fall.
Mary recommends planting it in full sun in sandy to clay soil, in USDA Zones 3-9. It can be pruned to six inches in late winter or early spring (once daytime temperatures are consistently above 50 degrees), she adds.
3. Buttonbush – a flowering shrub adored by pollinators
(Image credit: Panther Media Global / NickKurzenko / Alamy Stock Photo)
Cephalanthus occidentalis, or buttonbush as it’s commonly known, is another suggestion from Mary that has tons of charm with its fragrant, pom-pom shaped flowerheads.
These attract a wide variety of bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds from June to September, she says, adding that the seedheads persist through winter and provide valuable nutrition for songbirds.
It’s also a larval host plant to multiple species of moths, including sphinx moths, Mary points out. What’s more, the dense foliage ‘provides excellent cover and nesting sites for various bird species’.
‘Buttonbush is a true wetland plant, thriving in consistently moist to wet soils and even tolerating shallow flooding (up to three feet deep once mature),’ Mary says. ‘Plant in the marginal area of the pond, where the soil is consistently moist to wet.’
4. Swamp Milkweed – a tall, blooming perennial that entices butterflies
(Image credit: Steffen Hauser / botanikfoto / Alamy Stock Photo)
Horticulturist and landscape designer Megan Bryant of senior living community Collington recommends swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) for growing around a wildlife pond, highlighting that it’s the host plant for the threatened Monarch butterfly.
‘Beautiful clusters of rich pink flowers bloom from mid-summer all the way into October in some regions,’ she says – and these are excellent for attracting pollinators. ‘It adds wonderful height to ponds, growing between four to six feet tall, and does best around the edges of a pond in a full-sun or partially shaded area.’
Swamp milkweed is available to buy from Nature Hills.
Megan Bryant
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Lead Horticulturist and Landscape Designer at Collington
Megan Bryant is the lead horticulturist and landscape designer at Collington, a senior living community in Mitchellville, Maryland, and a Kendal Affiliate. She has been a devoted environmentalist throughout her life and has discovered unique ways of combining her artistic abilities and scientific passion through environmental filmmaking and landscape design. Her greatest focus today is creating community and engagement, especially with older adults at Collington, through environmental education and ecologically centered landscape designs.
5. Tussock Sedge – a dense, evergreen grass with various wildlife benefits
(Image credit: Zoonar GmbH / Zoonar / Joerg Hemmer / Alamy Stock Photo)
Megan also adds another ornamental grass to our list – tussock sedge (Carex stricta) – which she says offers essential habitat and nesting areas for insects, amphibians, and birds. ‘Their roots stabilize soil, filter excess nutrient runoff, and improve water quality. It has a beautiful, flowing growth habit, providing a low, dense structure for your pond.
‘They thrive in saturated soils and are generally planted at or just above the water line,’ Megan continues. ‘They spread in clumps via underground rhizomes.’
6. Cardinal Flower – to welcome hummingbirds to your wildlife pond
(Image credit: P Tomlins / Alamy Stock Photo)
If you’re looking to welcome more hummingbirds and other pollinators to your backyard, consider growing the cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis). Megan says it will attract them with its vivid red, nectar-rich blooms. What’s more, it adds beautiful vertical structure to the garden, growing three to six feet tall, she adds.
She says they do best at pond edges (but be mindful not to completely submerge when planting). ‘They prefer full sun but can tolerate partial shade.’
You can shop for cardinal flowers from Nature Hills.
7. Hostas – ideal for a shadier space, with striking summer blooms
(Image credit: Alexandra Glen / Alamy Stock Photo)
For more foliage around your pond, consider growing hostas, a plant suggested by Nikki Bruner of Perfect Plants Nursery. ‘Hostas are classic shade lovers and will come back year after year,’ she says.
‘The lush green leaves provide the perfect backdrop to soften the pond’s edges and add texture. Summer flowers also attract pollinators and hummingbirds.’
She recommends planting them in partial to full shade. Knowing how and when to cut them back will also help them perform at their best. Try ‘Francee’, available from the Perfect Plants Nursery website, for variegated leaves and lavender-hued blooms.
Nikki Bruner
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Gardening Expert at Perfect Plants Nursery
Nikki Bruner is the marketing specialist at Perfect Plants Nursery. With a passion for plants and eight years of expertise in marketing, Nikki combines her knowledge of the nursery industry with her creative thinking to promote and highlight the exceptional offerings of Perfect Plants Nursery. She is dedicated to ensuring customer satisfaction and providing valuable insights for plant lovers.
A pond is just one way to welcome more wildlife to your backyard. Planting a mini meadow (or a hummingbird border if you have more space), feeding garden birds, and building a bee hotel are other ways to give your local ecosystem a helping hand. And if you’re growing your own fruit and veggies, remember to steer clear of using certain types of garden netting – the wrong kind can have dire consequences for small creatures.
What to shop for
Attracts pollinators
Seed Needs
Swamp Milkweed Seeds
Grow both pink and white swamp milkweed plants around your pond with these two packs of heirloom seeds.
Well-rated
TotalPond
Aquatic Plant Basket
Aquatic baskets can be a useful way to plant certain plants, such as blue flag irises, around the margins of a pond, and these are budget-friendly.
Safe for pond fish
Aquascape
Pond Plant Potting Media
A nutrient-rich mix ideal for potting up marginal and submerged plants into aquatic planters to help them thrive.
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