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Tue, Jul 18, 06 at 12:34
| Does anyone know of native pond plants that would cover the water's surface? I know water lillies would...but raccoons keep eating the ones I try planting. The tubers must be raccoon candy! Any other suggestions? I have a small, 120 gallon pond. No fish. Lots of waterbugs, though. |
Follow-Up Postings:
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- Posted by neil_allen z5/6 Chi IL (My Page) on Tue, Jul 18, 06 at 14:43
| The coolest one I can think of is water shield, Brasenia schreberi. Its flowers aren't wowsers but the foliage is very nice. However, it may require deep water and I haven't seen it widely available. The toughest one I can think of is water smartweed, Polygonum amphibium. The flowers aren't that much different from ordinary snartweed, but it can cover a lot of water in a short period of time. Both of these have leaves that actually float on the water. If you'd consider things with leaves abouve the water, one of the native arrowheads, such as Sagitaria latifoliam might work. I've got some arrowhead from northhern Wisconsin that's colonized a similar-sized pool in a raccoon-infested neighborhood in Chicago, and it's been left alone. |
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- Posted by ahughes798 z5 IL (My Page) on Thu, Jul 20, 06 at 11:01
| Thanks, Neil. I actually have a grass-leaved arrowhead growing in a basket in the pond, and the raccoons did throw it around a few times, but they must have decided it wasn't edible, because they haven't bothered it lately. |
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- Posted by rachelneil (My Page) on Sun, Mar 18, 07 at 12:21
| The underwater leaves of the yellow pond lily are a good source of food for beavers and muskrats who can eat them all through the year. They'll be back for their munchy, I'm sorry! |
Here is a link that might be useful: wildflowers/ for nature lovers
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- Posted by ahughes798 z5 IL (My Page) on Sun, Mar 18, 07 at 21:05
| Thanks for the link, Rachelneil. My pond is too small for muskrats or beavers to bother with!..it's also made out of plastic. The birds like it, and deer and raccoons seem to like it, too..there's a definite animal trail through my back yard that leads to the pond. April |
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