Pond life

[shubhi]

I've recently created a wildlife pond in my garden and want to add some aquatic plants. However, I recently read that there are a number of imported aquatic plants that are escaping into the wild and taking over. Can you tell me what they are so I can avoid them and suggest some well-behaved varieties?

[EddieQ]

Your quite right, there are a number of plants that have gone wild and are proving nigh on impossible to control. Crassulla helmsii (Australian Swamp Stonecrop), Myriophylum aquaticum (Parrots Feather) and Hydrocotyle ranunculoides (Floating Pennywort) are three of the most common culprits, even though they are still on sale at some garden centres. Bodies such as the Environment Agency and English Nature publish comprehensive advice on what to and what not to plant, so it might be worth contacting your local office. Some good native species include Hydroctyle vulgaris, (Marsh Pennywort), Hydrocharis morsus-ranae (Frogbit) and Ranunculus aquatilis (Water Crowfoot).