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Wildlife pond questions.

RobmarstonRobmarston Posts: 338
in Wildlife gardening
Hi, I’ve just built a small wildlife pond in the garden. It’s just under 2m square. I went out to buy some plants and oxygenators for it. I got a little water lily and something called Myriophyllum Red stem aka parrots feather.  My first question is about the water lily. Should I pot it up before putting it in the pond, or just leave it in the pot it came in? My next question is about the myriophyllum.  I’ve been reading a lot online saying it is banned, invasive and shouldn’t be used. If it is banned, how come I was able to easily buy it from a large aquatics chain? Should I go ahead and put it in my pond or chuck it out? Any clarification on this would be helpful - I’ve built a pond to help the environment, not cause problems. 

Posts

  • Ladybird4Ladybird4 Posts: 37,906
    edited July 2019
    I associate Myriophyllum red with tropical aquariums. It would not be hardy in a garden pond in the UK.
    If the water lily is in an aquatic pot you could just sink it into the pond.
    Cacoethes: An irresistible urge to do something inadvisable
  • CeresCeres Posts: 2,698
    If you are worried about using plants that are not native and which might be invasive, Puddle Plants has a section of UK native plants to chose from. https://www.puddleplants.co.uk/uk-native-plants/

  • RobmarstonRobmarston Posts: 338
    Thanks Ladybird. The guy in the shop sold it to me as a pond oxygenator! 
  • madpenguinmadpenguin Posts: 2,543
    The Myriophyllum brasiliensis (Red Stemmed Parrot Feather) is OK for your pond and it is frost hardy and non-invasive.
    So you should be OK!
    The banned one is     Myriophyllum proserpinacoides.
    “Every day is ordinary, until it isn't.” - Bernard Cornwell-Death of Kings
  • RobmarstonRobmarston Posts: 338
    Thanks for all the good tips. Looked at puddle plants but the ones I like aren’t in stock! I’ll go with the parrots feather for now and in the autumn look in their website. 
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