Native Plants
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Friday - March 27, 2009
From: Grand Junction, CO
Region: Rocky Mountain
Topic: Water Gardens
Title: Pond plants that ducks will NOT eat
Answered by: Nan Hampton
QUESTION:
What kind of pond plants are there that ducks will NOT eat?ANSWER:
Well, I am sure that there are some pond plants that ducks won't eat, but I don't know specific ones. I do know, however, that ducks really like young and tender plants to eat; so, if you can protect your plants in enclosures until they are more mature, the ducks are not as likely to be able to completely destroy them. Another strategy is to overwhelm them with plants, especially grasses, rushes and sedges—that way the more ornamental plants might have a chance of surviving. Here is a link to an article, Plants for Ponds and Pens, from the British Waterfowl Association with suggestions on ways to maintain plants for ducks. By the way, you are not the first person to be frustrated with trying to maintain plants in the presence of ducks. Please see the answer to another recent question about ducks and plants.Here are some suggestions for grasses or grasslike plants for ponds or their edges that grow in or adjacent to Mesa County, Colorado:
Deschampsia cespitosa (Tufted hairgrass)
Eleocharis montevidensis (sand spikerush)
Eleocharis palustris (common spikerush) and here are photos
Juncus torreyi (Torrey's rush)
Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani (softstem bulrush)
More Water Gardens Questions
Plants for swan food
July 03, 2012 - Dear Mr Smarty Pants, I have a farm in VA with a large pond or lake fenced in. I am rescuing a pair of swan and want to grow plants around the fence and pond that they can eat. Could you suggest an...
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Cover oak roots with a pond from Round Rock TX
December 22, 2012 - Hello! I have looked for this answer. We have 2 huge old beautiful live oaks. One is very close to the patio and house, and the other is about 20 feet of the house. Thus, part of their root systems ar...
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Can Juncus effusus winter outside in Mountville PA?
June 28, 2010 - If we have the juncus effusus spiralis outside in a small pond and you say to let it outside in the winter does that mean we should let it in the pond? thanks for your time
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Tradescantia as a water plant
June 13, 2007 - I have a spiderwort plant, and when I found it at the nursery, it was in water by the pond plants, (I had no idea what kind of plant it was at the time) So I bought it, took it home, and repotted it w...
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Native water plants for bio-retention pond in North Carolina
July 22, 2009 - I am looking for North Carolina native plants that can take part shade and very wet conditions (bioretention pond environment). Any suggestions?
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