Deep Water and Floating Pond Plants

Make a splash with deep water and floating pond plants - they’re some of the most attractive and interesting varieties around. From graceful water lilies and healthy green oxygenators to fabulous foliage and stylish rushes, we’ll help you choose the ideal combination of submerged and floating plants for the deepest water in your pond, lake or container garden. Take a deep dive into our specially curated collection - it blows other plants out of the water! Need help picking?
Water irises (20)Water lilies (44)Ferns (37)Pond grasses (16)Oxygenating pond plants (13)
  • Large Water Lily | Nymphaea Paul Hariot Pond Plants
    From £25
    £36 From £25

    Large Water Lily | Nymphaea 'Paul Hariot'

    Beautiful, painterly shades

    • Apricot to orange-pink blooms
    • Zone 3 - Deep water
    • Loves full sun (six hours or more)
    • An ideal size for the average pond

    4 options available

    Trustpilot
  • Large Pink Water Lily | Nymphaea Rose Arey Pond Plants
    From £25
    £36 From £25

    Large Pink Water Lily | Nymphaea 'Rose Arey'

    A pink star for larger ponds

    • Stunning star-shaped, pink blooms
    • Zone 3 - Deep water
    • Plant in full sun for the best flowers
    • Robust, floriferous and long-blooming

    2 options available

    Trustpilot
  • Best Oxygenating Pond Plants | Growers' Choice Pond Plants
    From £13
    From £13

    Best Oxygenating Pond Plants | Growers' Choice

    Keep your pond nice and clear!

    • Gorgeous foliage in a range of green hues
    • Zone 3 - Deep water
    • Grows in full sun, part shade, full shade
    • Plants that keep your pond from stagnating

    Currently out of stock

  • Oxygenating Water Crowfoot | Ranunculus aquatilis Pond Plants
    From £18
    From £18

    Oxygenating Water Crowfoot | Ranunculus aquatilis

    Clouds of brightest white

    • Dainty white flowers, lush emerald foliage
    • Zone 3 - Deep water
    • Grow in full sun or partial shade
    • Flowers from July to August

    Currently out of stock

  • Dwarf Water Lily | Nymphaea Xiafei Pond Plants
    From £22
    £30 From £22

    Dwarf Water Lily | Nymphaea 'Xiafei'

    Perfect for container ponds

    • Dainty magenta blooms
    • Zone 3 - Deep water
    • A sun-loving plant (six hours or more)
    • A small waterlily, perfect for compact ponds

    Currently out of stock

  • Yellow Dwarf Water Lily | Nymphaea Pygmaea helvola Pond Plants
    From £22
    £30 From £22

    Yellow Dwarf Water Lily | Nymphaea 'Pygmaea Helvola'

    A pond full of yellow stars

    • Delicate little flowers in butter yellow hues
    • Zone 3 - Deep water
    • Thrives in a sunny spot
    • RHS Award of Garden Merit winner

    Currently out of stock

  • 5 Frogbit Plants | 9cm Pots Pond Plants
    From £18
    From £18

    Frogbit Plants

    Elegant floating flowers

    • Charming tri-leaved blooms atop green pads
    • Zone 3 - Deep water
    • Grow in a fully sunny position
    • Flowers in summer from June to July

    Currently out of stock

  • 5 Trapdoor Snails (Viviparus viviparus) Pond Plants
    From £20
    From £20

    Trapdoor Snails | Viviparus viviparus

    Patterned snails for algae

    • Attractive green and yellow, patterned shells
    • Gets to work throughout the entire pond
    • Incredibly easy to care for
    • Eats algae to keep your pond clean

    Currently out of stock

  • Yellow Floating Heart | Nymphoides peltata Pond Plants
    From £18
    From £18

    Yellow Floating Heart | Nymphoides peltata

    Starry blooms to brighten ponds

    • Floating star-shaped, yellow flowers
    • Zone 3 - Deep water
    • Best grown in full sun
    • Long flowering season from May to September

    Currently out of stock

  • 5 Water Violet Plants| Oxygenating | 9cm Pots Pond Plants
    From £18
    From £18

    Oxygenating Water Violet Plants | Hottonia palustris

    Ferny foliage dotted with lilac

    • Feathery foliage, delicate white flowers
    • Zone 3 - Deep water
    • Grows best in partial shade
    • Flowers from June to August

    Currently out of stock

  • Red Water Lily | Nymphaea Perry's Baby Red Pond Plants
    From £22
    £30 From £22

    Red Water Lily | Nymphaea 'Perry's Baby Red'

    Compact, prolific and vibrant

    • Punchy blooms in reddish pink
    • Zone 3 - Deep water
    • Place this water lily in full sun
    • RHS Award of Garden Merit winner

    Currently out of stock

Enfield

Meet Caroline

A deep dive into sustainable gardening

Nestled amongst wildlife meadows and resident ducks, Caroline’s award winning pond plant nursery in Enfield has been making a splash since 1965, when they invented the (recycled, obvs) aquatic basket. Sixty years and multiple RHS gold medals later, they’re still surprising us with new varieties every year!

Need help picking?

Why choose deep water and floating plants?

Why choose deep water and floating plants?

If you’ve got a medium to large-sized pond, then implementing some floating plants can help add visual impact as well as wildlife appeal, and also contribute to a healthier pond environment overall. Few plants can rival the elegance of the water lily, while the hornwort plant provides cover for amphibians and fish. For a happy, healthy and highly attractive pond, whack some floaters in there.

What types of floating plants are there?

What types of floating plants are there?

There are both flowering and foliage floating plants. We’ve already touched upon the water lily, Nymphaea, which is arguably the best flowering plant for deep water, but the water-crowfoot (Ranunculus aquatilis) gives it a good run for its money, with its dainty, buttercup-like blooms. So too does the water hawthorn plant (Aponogeton distachyos), thanks to its fresh fragrance. On the foliage side of things, there are a huge number of brilliant plants from which to choose, including the aforementioned hornwort, the water lettuce with its salad-like rosettes, and water violets with their fabulously ferny fronds.

Planting and caring for deep water plants

Planting and caring for deep water plants

Planting floating plants is easy; for plants you want to keep submerged, like deep water oxygenators, you can attach a weight when planting to help keep them anchored in position. For floating plants like water lilies, it’s as simple as tossing your plant – gently, of course – straight onto the water and letting it do its thang. Consider adding a slow-release aquatic feed each spring to help give your plants a boost.

Happy plants make happy customers

Trustpilot
Ornamental Colour Collection Pond Plants
five star rating on Trustpilot

Plants arrived in great condition and very promptly. Well established - much better than the ones I got at my local garden centre.

Monica Spence

| 24 May
Star Jasmine | Trachelospermum jasminoides Climbing Plants
five star rating on Trustpilot

Yet again this company delivered good healthy plants, exactly as shown in photos, well packaged and within delivery time quoted. Recommend!

Jacqueline Burgess

| 2 Jun
five star rating on Trustpilot

I continue to be so impressed with Roots. Their customer care, knowledge of their subject: from planting hedges to pruning roses and more, has been a great support.

Judy Lane

| 23 Oct
E 'Black Hamburgh' Indoor Grape Vine Soft Fruit
five star rating on Trustpilot

The plant arrived looking vigorously healthy, which brings a smile to your face, extremely well protected in its packaging.

Martyn Hill

| 5 Jul
E 'Braeburn Hillwell' Apple Tree Fruit Trees
five star rating on Trustpilot

As a non-gardener, I found my whole experience brilliant. Great information & advice available on the website, great range of products & prices are brilliant.

John-Paul

| 22 May
five star rating on Trustpilot

Wonderful plants and great customer service... really surprised to find that the plants are better than those you would get at your local garden centre.

Gavin Wilcock

| 8 Nov

Fighting plastic waste

Delivering fresh from the nursery

Supporting UK growers