Floating
aquatic plants come in hardy and tropicals, but most of
the plants listed here are tropical plants and must be
considered annuals in all but the most southern zones
of the United States. Floating plants are very useful
in the garden pool in two ways.
The
floating plants foliage provides shade cover, which helps
stabilize water temperature and denies light to the algae
below, retarding it's growth.
The
extensive root system removes nutrients from the water
that could eventually build up and poison your fish. In
addition, by removing these nutrients they are not available
for the algae, thereby starving the algae. Also, their
root systems serve as spawning site and provides a place
for young fish to hide.
