Water gardeners need pretty plants, and these native ones will work well, either in the water or along the edge. After they are established, they require little maintenance.

Here’s a list of native water plants:

Rose mallow: (Hibiscus lasiocarpos) resembles hollyhocks and blooms from July to October. The large white or pale pink flowers feature magenta centers. Rose mallow grows to 6 feet in full sun and tolerates the heat and humidity of our St. Louis summers.

Spider lily: (Hymenocallis caroliniana) sports fragrant, spidery, white flowers among strappy leaves in July and August. Plant Spider lily bulbs in the fall in a spot that gets full sun. Spider lily is sometimes known as Hymenocallis occidentalis.

Copper Iris: (Iris fulva) grows 2 to 3 feet tall in full sun to partial shade. As its name suggests, its blooms are copper or terra cotta, and they appear in May and June. You can grow these in containers in 6 inches of water.

Southern blue flag: (Iris virginica and Iris virginica var. shrevei) produces a beautiful blue violet flower in June among bright green strappy leaves. It grows to 2 to 3 feet in full sun.

Allegheny monkey flower: (Mimulus ringens) is a stately plant that grows to 3 feet in full sun to partial shade. From June to September, it sports pretty lilac flowers that resemble snapdragons.

Broad leaf arrowhead: (Sagittaria latifolia) features broad green leaves and small white flowers that bloom all summer. It grows to 4 feet in full sun.

Lizard’s tail: (Saururus cernuus) shows tiny white flowers from June to September among heart-shaped leaves. The flowers, leaves and roots of this shallow-water plant have a citrus fragrance. It grows to 2 feet in full sun to partial shade.

Hardy water canna: (Thalia dealbata) displays pretty blue green leaves and grows from 6 to 10 feet in full sun and shallow water or wet soil. Its violet flowers bloom atop tall scapes in July and August.

For more information about how to grow specific water plants, including non-native plants, visit Missouri Botanical Garden’s PlantFinder (www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder), the St. Louis Water Gardening Society (www.slwgs.org) or the North American Water Garden Society (www.nawgs.com).

source : www.stltoday.com