Damp Ground and Pondside Plants

Pondside plants thrive in moist and damp soil conditions prone to water-logging. Plant these around the edge of your pond, anywhere in a bog garden or in a frequently flooded area. These plants are otherwise known as bog-plants and are not necessarily aquatic, however thrive in wet conditions. Try the Iris Sibirica for moist and damp soil, Slender Tufted Sedge for streams or Mimulus Guttatus for vibrant perennial groundcover ideal for rock gardens.

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Pond plants (157) Water irises (20)Water lilies (43)Ferns (34)Pond grasses (16)Oxygenating pond plants (13)
  • Chinese Marshflower | Mazus Reptans Pond Plants
    From £15
    From £15

    Chinese Marshflower | Mazus reptans

    Brilliant green foliage dotted with blue

    • Zone 2 - Pond Edges
    • Grows in partial or full shade
    • Flowers from May to August
    • Hundreds of pale lilac-blue flowers

    5 options available

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  • Variegated Sweet Flag | Acorus calamus 'Variegatus' Pond Plants
    From £15
    From £15

    Variegated Sweet Flag | Acorus calamus 'Variegatus'

    This vertical foliage plant adds a splash of colour

    • Zone 2 - Pond Edges
    • Plant in sun or partial shade
    • Low maintenance, pest and disease free
    • A striking accent plant for water gardens and ponds

    4 options available

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  • Giant Marsh Marigold | Caltha Palustris Polypetala Pond Plants
    From £30
    From £30

    Giant Marsh Marigold | Caltha palustris polypetala

    Masses of giant buttercups

    • Zone 2 - Pond Edges
    • Grow in full sun or partial shade
    • Spring flowering right from March to May
    • Attracts pollinators to your pond

    2 options available

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  • White Chinese Marshflower | Mazus Reptans alba Pond Plants
    From £15
    From £15

    White Chinese Marshflower | Mazus reptans 'Alba'

    Clusters of snowdrop white

    • Zone 2 - Pond Edges
    • Grows in partial or full shade
    • Flowers from May to August
    • Covered in snow white flowers every summer

    5 options available

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  • Water Lily | Nymphaea Wanvisa Pond Plants
    From £40
    From £40

    Variegated Water Lily | Nymphaea 'Wanvisa'

    No two flowers are the same!

    • Zone 3 - Deep Water
    • Grow in full sun
    • Spectacular multi-coloured flowers from June to September
    • Voted Best New Waterlily

    2 options available

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  • Lobelia fulgens 'Queen Victoria' Pond Plants
    From £15
    From £15

    Lobelia fulgens 'Queen Victoria'

    Bright crimson blooms on purple stems

    • Zone 2 - Pond Edges
    • Happy in full sun or partial shade
    • Late summer flowering from August to September
    • RHS Award of Garden Merit winner

    3 options available

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  • Apache Beads | Anemopsis californicum Pond Plants
    From £30
    From £30

    Apache Beads | Anemopsis californicum

    Tiny, fragrant white flowers

    • Zone 2 - Pond Edges
    • Grow in full sun or partial shade
    • Flowers from May to August
    • A striking addition to ponds and bog gardens

    2 options available

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  • Bloodwort Wood Dock | Rumex sanguineus Pond Plants
    From £23
    From £23

    Wood Dock | Rumex sanguineus

    Striking red-veined foliage

    • Zone 2 - Pond Edges
    • Best in full sun but also grows in partial shade
    • Flowering from June to August
    • A native marginal plant with striking red veined foliage

    1 option available

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  • Iris pseudacorus 'Variegata' 3L Pot Pond Plants
    From £30
    From £30

    Variegated Flag Iris | Iris pseudacorus 'Variegata'

    RHS award winning yellow flag

    • Zone 2 - Pond Edges
    • Grow in full sun or partial shade
    • Flowers from May to July
    • Stunning in borders, beds, ponds and bog gardens

    3 options available

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  • Loosestrife | Lythrum salicaria Robert Pond Plants
    From £15
    From £15

    Loosestrife | Lythrum salicaria 'Robert'

    Spires of fuchsia pink

    • Zone 2 - Pond Edges
    • Grows best in full sun
    • Flowers from July to September
    • Compact pink blooms

    3 options available

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  • Varigated Water Dropwort 'Flamingo' Pond Plants
    From £15
    From £15

    Varigated Water Dropwort 'Flamingo'

    Gorgeous tricoloured foliage

    • Zone 2 - Pond Edges
    • Grow in full sun or partial shade
    • Flowers throughout July and August
    • Outstanding colour for ponds or containers

    3 options available

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  • Lobelia cardinalis | Cardinal Flower Pond Plants
    From £15
    From £15

    Lobelia cardinalis | Cardinal Flower

    Brightest scarlet late summer colour

    • Zone 2 - Pond Edges
    • Happy in full sun or partial shade
    • Late summer colour from August to October
    • Perfect for pondside and wildlife gardens

    3 options available

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  • Water Lily | Nymphaea Lemon Mist Pond Plants
    From £36
    From £36

    Water Lily | Nymphaea 'Lemon Mist'

    The centrepiece of a sunny pond

    • Zone 3 - Deep Water
    • Grow in full sun
    • Free flowering from June to September
    • Ideal for medium sized and average ponds

    2 options available

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  • Gardener's Garters | Ribbon Grass Pond Plants
    From £15
    From £15

    Gardener's Garters | Ribbon Grass

    Stylish striped ribbons

    • Zone 2 - Pond Edges
    • Thrives in full sun or partial shade
    • Boldly striped in white, mint and dark green
    • A versatile grass for pond edges, water gardens and containers

    6 options available

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  • Iris pseudacorus 'Flore Pleno' Pond Plants
    From £30
    From £30

    Iris pseudacorus 'Flore Pleno'

    A prolific favourite

    • Zone 2 - Pond Edges
    • Grow in full sun or partial shade
    • Flowers from May to July
    • Ideal for shallow pond edges or planting shelves

    3 options available

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  • Water Lily | Nymphaea Albatross Pond Plants
    From £36
    From £36

    Water Lily | Nymphaea 'Albatross'

    Lightly fragrant lily with colour changing leaves

    • Zone 3 - Deep Water
    • Perfect for a sunny pond
    • Flowers all summer from June to September
    • A large waterlily ideal for middle sized to large ponds.

    2 options available

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  • Colocasia Rubra Black Magic | Elephant Ear Plant Pond Plants
    From £30
    From £30

    Colocasia rubra 'Black Magic' | Elephant Ear Plant

    An enchanting pondside plant

    • Zone 1 - Pondside
    • Thrives in full sun or partial shade
    • Unique purple-black variety of this attractive foliage plant
    • Suitable for growing in pots

    2 options available

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  • Upright Water Milfoil| Oxygenating Pond Plants
    From £15
    From £15

    Oxygenating Upright Water Milfoil | Myriophyllum crispatum

    Feathery foliage with tiny red blooms

    • Zone 2 - Pond Edges
    • Happy in full sun or partial shade
    • Summer flowering from June to August
    • Provides excellent cover for pond fish

    Currently out of stock

  • Bog Pimpernel | Anagallis tenella Pond Plants
    From £15
    From £15

    Bog Pimpernel | Anagallis tenella

    An evergreen carpet of tiny pink blooms

    • Zone 2 - Pond Edges
    • Thrives in full sun
    • Long flowering period from June to September
    • A low growing plant for pond edges, rock and bog gardens

    Currently out of stock

  • Pond In A Pot Planting Kit | Oxygenating & Wildlife | Flowers & Structure Pond Plants
    From £60
    £90 From £60

    Pond in a Pot Planting Kit | Oxygenating & Wildlife | Flowers & Structure

    The easy way to create a beautiful and relaxing mini pond

    • Contains oxygenators and decorative pond plants including a dwarf water lily
    • Tall, spreading and flowering plants for a beautiful display
    • Keeps your pond healthy and attracts wildlife
    • Specially curated for container ponds up to 1m square

    Currently out of stock

  • Best Pond Plants For Any Size Pond | All In One | Oxygenating & Wildlife | Flowers & Structure Pond Plants
    From £60
    £75 From £60

    Best Pond Plants for Any Size Pond | All in One | Oxygenating & Wildlife | Flowers & Structure

    All the plants you need for a beautiful and healthy pond

    • The perfect selection of plants for every size of pond
    • Contains oxygenators, marginal and floating plants plus a water lily
    • Tall, spreading and flowering plants for a beautiful display
    • Keeps your pond healthy and attracts wildlife

    Currently out of stock

  • Red Stem Parrot's Feather| Oxygenating Pond Plants
    From £15
    From £15

    Oxygenating Red Stem Parrot's Feather | Myriophyllum brasiliensis

    Red and green feathery foliage

    • Zone 2 - Pond Edges
    • Thrives in full sun or partial shade
    • Flowering from June to August
    • Helps to maintain clean and healthy ponds

    Currently out of stock

  • Iris sibirica Pond Plants
    From £15
    From £15

    Iris sibirica

    The perfect shade of blue

    • Zone 2 - Pond Edges
    • Grow in full sun or partial shade
    • Flowers throughout May and June
    • Prefers moist to boggy soil - ideal for pond borders and bog gardens

    Currently out of stock

  • Iris versicolor Pond Plants
    From £15
    From £15

    Iris versicolor

    The most beautiful blue flag

    • Zone 2 - Pond Edges
    • Grow in full sun or partial shade
    • Flowers throughout May and June
    • Plant at pond edges or in beds and borders

    Currently out of stock

  • Golden Creeping Jenny | Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea' Pond Plants
    From £15
    From £15

    Golden Creeping Jenny | Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea'

    Glorious gold foliage sprinkled with flowers

    • Zone 2 - Pond Edges
    • Thrives in full sun or partial shade
    • Flowers throughout June and July
    • RHS Award of Garden Merit winner

    Currently out of stock

  • Iris ensata | Japanese Clematis Iris Pond Plants
    From £15
    From £15

    Iris ensata | Japanese Clematis Iris

    Outstanding colour and form

    • Zone 2 - Pond Edges
    • Grow in full sun or partial shade
    • Flowers throughout May and June
    • Loves pond edges, bog gardens and borders

    Currently out of stock

  • Iris louisiana 'Ann Chowning' Pond Plants
    From £15
    From £15

    Iris louisiana 'Ann Chowning'

    Cherry red flowering award winner

    • Zone 2 - Pond Edges
    • Grow in full sun or partial shade
    • Flowers from May to July
    • Ideal for shallow pond edges or planting shelves

    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?

What is a bog garden?

What is a bog garden?

If you don’t have a pond, but rather a perennially damp and boggy garden – or if you do have a pond but are looking to plant up the surrounding area – then you’re going to be needing very particular plants; plants that love consistently moist (even wet) soil but don’t like being submerged or planted in open water. Bog gardening, as it’s often referred to, offers an effective way to make good use of a sunken, sodden area of the garden that’s especially prone to waterlogging.

Our picks for pondside and moisture-loving plants

Our picks for pondside and moisture-loving plants

For your pondside/bog garden planting scheme, you want to choose a mixture of flowering and foliage plants, and what better place to start than with the iconic woodland classic, the cowslip (Primula veris). Other primulas, like bee’s primrose, (Primula beesiana) orchid primrose (Primula vialii) and Bulley’s primrose (Primula bulleyana) also all grow well in damp conditions. Other flowering plants to consider include the cuckoo flower (Cardamine pratensis) and dragonwort (Persicaria bistorta). From a foliage perspective, ferns, hostas, heucheras and acorus plants are all hardy perennials that tolerate damp to wet soil.

Care tips

Care tips

The key thing to remember is that these plants need a lot of moisture. If you’ve decided you just like the look of these plants and want them in your regular beds or borders, then you’ll need to keep a close eye that they don’t dry out, and give them a regular watering – particularly in dry summers. Full to partial sun is preferable and you should look to plant during the springtime. Bog plants like a nice, rich soil so mulching with organic matter like leafmould can be beneficial.

Happy plants make happy customers

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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

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