Hardy Marginals

What are Marginals? They are plants that will grow in 0-6" of water

What are good uses for Marginals? placing them in between rocks to soften up the edge will make pond look more natural. Have you ever seen a pond with just rocks around the edge? They are also excellent to use in stream beds. Not only will they make the stream look more natural they will filter the water better then any other filter system out there. They will eat up any excess nutrients wich will keep alge in check. On those same lines they are also great for bog filters...

Can they be taken out of the pots? As with any other plants we would suggest not to...Unless your stream bed is shallower then the pots. But remember any plant will grow very rapidly outside of the pot, so this will require more maintence to keep them under control. If left alone they will be your worst nightmare. By keeping them in their pots or mesh baskets you will be able to grab their pots and trim off anything that is growing over the sides of the pots, which i must say is a lot easier then ripping out a huge root mass.....

There are all sorts of species of marginals such as...

Water Iris are considered marginals, but there are so many of them we devoted a page entirely to themselves.

Acorus calamus 'Green Sweetflag'

Depth 0-5" Fragrant green iris-like leaves 2.5' tall Sun to shade

Acorus calamus varigata 'Varigated Sweetflag' Depth

0-5" Green and white iris-like leaves 2.5' tall/ Foliage is scented Sun to shade

Acorus graminus varigata 'Japanese Rush'

Depth 0-4" Green and white grass-like clumps 10" tall/ Foliage is scented Sun to shade

Arundo donax 'Giant Reed'

Depth +6" to -6" Vigorous, stiff upright reed 6' to 12' tall/ Bamboo like appearance Sun to part shade

Calla palustris 'Bog Arum'

Depth 0-4" Dark green cordate leaves 8-12" long/ Flowers in spring, spikes of red berries in fall Part to full shad

Carex pseudocyparus 'Gray Sedge'

Depth 0-6" Vigorous gray-green grass-like foliage to 15"/ Burr-like seed head Sun to shade

Dulichium arundinaceum 'Dwarf Bamboo'

Depth 0-4" Midgreen leaf blades 1/2" long on 1.5' stems, Not very invasive Sun to shade

Equisetum hyemale 'Horstail Reed'

Depth 0-6" Hollow rush-like plant with green stems/ Black bands at joints Sun to part shade

Equisetum scirpoides 'Dwarf Horsetail Reed'

Depth 0+" Clumped dark green jointed stems 3-4" tall/ Serves as a good cover in a bog garden Sun to part shade

Hemerocallis fulva 'Native Tawny Daylily'

Depth +4" to -4" Arching green foliage with orange flower spikes/ Vigorous grower/ Can stand abuse

Houttuynia cordata 'Green Houttuynia'

Depth 0-4" Heart shaped bluish-green leaves, reddish stems/ Small creamy white flowers, vigorous grower Sun to part shade
Houttuynia cordata varigata 'Chameleon'

Plant Depth 0-4" Leaves ranging in color: blue, red, cream, and green, with red stems/ Small creamy white flowers Sun to part shade
Glyceria maxima varigata 'Sweet Manna Grass'

Depth +4" to -4" Grassy foliage green and white striped with a tinge of pink in spring/ Very vigorous 24" tall Sun to part shade
Juncus effusa 'Common Rush'

Depth 0-6" Green pith-filled, round stems reach 2' with insigificant flowers/ Brown blooms in summer/Height 24-36" Sun to part shade

Juncus effusa glauca 'Blue Rush'

Depth 0-6" Blue pith-filled, round stems reach 2' with insignificant flowers/ Height 1-2' Full sun

Juncus effuse spiralis 'Corkscrew Rush'

Depth 0"+ Green pith-filled, round twisted stems reach 1.5'/ Flowers are insignificant /Height 24" Sun to part shade

Lysimachia nummularia 'Moneywort'

Depth 0-6"+ Green whorled leaves, bright yellow flowers in spring/ Can be used as a ground cover Sun to part shade

Marsilea mutica 'Water Clover'

Depth 3-12" Leaves are green with mottled yellow and brown/ Four leaf clovers float on the surface of the water Sun to shade

Mentha aquatica 'Water Mint'

Depth 0-3" Fragrant green leaves/ Lilac flowers in late summer/ Can be invasive Sun to part shade

Meyanthes trifoliata 'Bogbean'

Depth1-6" Thre-leafed foliage/ Light pink flowers are star shaped and fringed/ Height 6-9" Full sun to part

Myosotis palustris 'Water-Forget-Me-Not'

Depth 0-4" Thick mat of small green leaves that will cover a pools edge and surface/ Tiny blue flowers Sun to part shade
Myriophyllum aquatica 'Parrot's Feather'

Depth 3-12" Light green feathery leaves arranged in dense whorls around a long stem/ Fast growing Sun to part shade

Nasturtium officinale 'Watercress'

Depth 0-6" Excellent choice to use in a filter or stream/ Prefers cold water/ Edible

Oenanthe javanica 'Water Celery'

Depth 0-6" Celery like plant that is 1-2' tall/ White flowers in summer/ Aggressive natural filtration plant Sun to part shade

Oenanthe javanica varigata 'Varigated Water Celery'

Depth 0-6" Celery like plant with varigated leaves with pink edges/ Excellent, aggressive natural filtration plant Sun to part shade
Orontium aquaticum 'Golden Club'

Depth 0-10" Unusual white pencil-like flowers with yellow tips/ Elongated leaves are dark green/ Height 6-10" Sun to part shade

Peltandra virginica 'Arrow Arum'

Depth 0-6" Dark green arrow-shaped leaves/ Pale green arum like flowers in summer, followed by lime green berries Sun to part shade
Phalaris arund. Feecy's 'Tricolor Ribbon Grass'

Depth 0-6" Grass with light green, white and pink leaves to 2' Sun or part shade

Phalaris arund. Picta 'Varigated Ribbon Grass'

Depth 0-6" Grass with light green and white leaves to 2' Sun to part shade

Pontaderia cordata 'Purple Pickerel Rush'

Depth 0-10" Glossy deep green heart-shaped leaves on 2' stems/ 6" spikes of blue flowers Sun to part shade

Pontaderia cordata alba 'White Pickerel Rush'

Depth 0-10" Glossy deep green heart-shaped leaves on 2' stems/ White flowers on 6" spikes Sun to part shade

Sagittaria latifolia 'Arrowhead'

Depth 0-6" Light green arrohead-shaped leaves/ Flowers are white with three petals Sun to part shade

Sagittaria spp. 'Sagittaria'

Depth 0-6" Narrow lancelot leaves less than 2' tall/ 3 petaled white flowers/ Reseeds easily Sun to part shade

Saururus cernuus 'Lizards Tail'

Depth 0-6" Pendulous spikes of white flowers to 6" long, reddish stems/ Heart shaped leaves turn color in the fall/ Colorful Sun to part shade
Saururus cernuus "Albiform" White Lizards'

Tail Depth 0-6" Pendulous spikes of white flowers to 6" long, white stem Sun to part shade

Eleocharis montevidensis 'Spike Rush'

Depth 0-2" Many spiked leaves are fragile but recover quickly/ Will freely seed itself around the pond Sun to part shade

Eriophorum angustifolium 'Cotton Grass'

Depth 0-4" Slender stems of cotton like flowers in the spring

Scirpus albescens 'Striped Bullrush'

Depth 2-6" Tall rush like stems striped with white and pale green/ Grows to 4'/ Tops have brown flower tufts in summer Sun to part shade

Scirpus zebrinas 'Zebra Rush'

Depth 2-5" Tall rush like stems banded with freen and white/ Grows to 42"/ Brown flower tufts in summer Sun to part shade

Thalia dealbata "Hardy" Thalia'

Depth 1-5" Leaves are bluish, Canna-like and dusted with white powder/ flowers held higher than the leaves Sun to part shade

Typha angustifolia 'Narrow-Leaf Cattail'

Depth 0-6" Gray green leaves are 1/2" wide and can reach 6' tall/ Male flowers is separated from the female by 1" of stem Sun to part shade
Typha latifolia 'Common Cattail'

Depth 0-6" Gray green flat leaves are 1" wide and can reach 8' tall/ Very invasive Sun to part shade

Typha latifolia varigata 'Varigated Cattail'

Depth 3-12" Beautiful green and white varigeted leaves/ Less vigorous than commoncattail/ Reaches 4'tall Sun to part shade
Typha laxmannii 'Graceful Cattail'

Depth 0-6" Very slender dark green leaves reaching 3' tall/ Not as heat tolerant as some other Cattails Sun to part shade

Typha minima 'Dwarf Cattail'

Depth 0-4" Reed-like leaves are blue-green and reach only 18" high/ Catkin is short and round/ Dwarf species Sun to part shade