suggestions on the hardiest most weedlike hady lily you can imagine

[kennef]

ok so here the situation.

my mom has a good sized earth bottom pond thats been dug for at least 10 years, but she has some issues about planting in it. she lives on a farm, and there are a few geese that wander over from time to time, and she's sure they will destroy anything she tries to plant. Also she has an extensive duckweed problem, as the pond has little else in it to fight for the nutrients.

so my clever idea...    is to find the most OBNOXIOUS and INVASIVE water plants (other than duckweed of course) to try and combat her issues.  i don't really care of the damn things bloom or not, just so long as i can assume that they can grow fast enough in the pond to ward off the occasional goose and be hardy enough to come back after a NY state winter. the pond is a minimum of 5 feet in most areas, is earth bottomed and spring fed, and doesn't have any thing mechanical running for filtration.

i know i ask for the weird stuff... but you know me by now.... i'm weird... 

[laurw]

When you say 'earth bottom,' do you mean it has been lined with clay? Or no liner at all, just dug out and stays full naturally?

[Christy]

Me and my friend done that one time,didnt we Bonnie (bunny)  they took over in an year,they jumped the pots. We thought we were going to have to dig our grave early over that , . And they were in our farm pond , but now they got round up put on them and most of them has died,havent seen any new leaves coming up.

Christy

[Sean]

N. mexicana is probably the weediest hardy waterlily there is.

Cheers,
Sean

[karen J]

Yes, Mexicana is pretty weedy, but I do have problems growing it reliably here in zone 5. kennef, is your Mom near Syracuse too?

I would suggest big lilies. The native white N. odorata ("Fragrant Water Lily") around here is very hardy, can grow in water 8' deep, and has a fairly decent white flower. It is blooming right now just about everywhere!

You'd be surprised at how hardy some really pretty water lilies are! Your Mom may like a pond infested with N. odorata, but what about Mayla? It's a strong pink, and it survives in my raised pond here in zone 5.

[Christy]

That's what was in our mud pond White lilies and they do grow really fast,but they will take over really fast.These were Richardsnii they are really pretty for white.

Christy

[boris4356]

Try spatterdock, they are sort of like a waterlily. They have huge pads, and send up a yellow ball shaped flower. They spread like wildfire, and are very hardy.

Bill

[kennef]

excellent information from you all! now that i have a half dozen suggestions, i just need to find them around... and on the cheap since i kinda need to sneak them in there without spending a lot.

Sean,

is Mexicana fairly common with most retailers?

N. odorata sounds really good, i wonder if they sell it at my local ponding places... i need to check... Mayla is something i am sure i can find, seem to have seen it around

[emm]

"Attraction" answers the fast growing, hardy, big spread lily criteria in my mind while also having an attractive bloom.  Mine grows big contained in a pot at a 4 foot depth.  I gave a chunk to a friend with mud bottom pond.  She threw it in at what she thinks was 4 or 5 feet and it has grown tremendously.  emm

[Sean]

N. mexicana is very easy to find. It produces running stolons that form into banana shaped clusters where the new plants will grow from.

Cheers,
Sean

[LeeAnne151]

Colorado does well in earth bottomed ponds, remember Joyce's photos from the pond at her work? Lots of them on the trade forum because they are big growers.

cattails for the edges but they will take over.