PROTECT OUR
ENVIRONMENT
DO
NOT
RELEASE
any water garden plants or fish
to our natural waters
They may become nuisance INVADERS crowding out native plants, damaging
habitat for fish, birds, insects, and amphibians, diminishing recreational
opportunities, and costing millions of dollars for control.
important tips for enjoying water garden plants and fish –
in your water garden where they belong.
■
Never transplant non-native plants or release any fish into lakes, streams,
wetlands or stormwater ponds.
■
Check your plant orders for unwanted, and potentially invasive, hitchhikers
(seeds, plant fragments, snails, insects, or fish).
■
Be aware of the regulations regarding possession, transport or sale of
non-native plants and animals.
■
■
■
Learn how invasive plants spread– by seed, rhizome, or even tiny plant fragments.
Recognize which plants and fish are potentially invasive in our climate zone.
Properly compost or dispose of unwanted plants or fish.
choose these attractive and hardy
native plants and fish
as alternatives to potentially invasive aquatic species
Carex comosa
Scirpus fluviatilis
turtlehead
Chelone glabra
Caltha palustris
fathead
minnow
Pimephales promelas
PLEASE DO
YOUR PARTfor more information, visit
www.dnr.wi.gov/invasives
PRODUCED BY THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA SEA GRANT PROGRAM
1/2006
KEEP THEM
CONTAINED IN
YOUR WATER
GARDEN
Clayton and Michele Oslund
Robert H. Mohlenbrock@USDA-NRCS Plants Database
Haley Elvecrog- Ramsey-Wash. Metro Watershed Dist.
Haley Elvecrog- Ramsey-Wash. Metro Watershed Dist.
river bulrush
Iris versicolor
marsh
marigold
John Lyons, Wisconsin DNR
bottle brush
sedge
Nymphaea odorata
blue flag
Haley Elvecrog- Ramsey-Wash. Metro Watershed Dist.
Elodea canadensis
Lobelia cardinalis
white
water lily
Robert H. Mohlenbrock@USDA-NRCS Plants Database
Mimulus ringens
elodea
cardinal
flower
Haley Elvecrog- Ramsey-Wash. Metro Watershed Dist.
monkey
flower
Pontederia cordata
Clayton and Michele Oslund
Sagittaria latifolia
pickerel weed
Vic Ramey- UFL
arrowhead
Haley Elvecrog- Ramsey-Wash. Metro Watershed Dist.
These native aquatic plants can add beauty and interest to your water garden and are likely to be more hardy than
exotic plants. Nursery professionals can help you select plants native to your area. As an alternative to exotic fish
such as koi or goldfish, consider using native bait fish in your garden pond. They’re inexpensive, hardy and just as
effective at reducing mosquito larvae in your water garden. Harvesting native plants and fish from the wild may
require a special permit, license, or permission.
Haley Elvecrog- Ramsey-Wash. Metro Watershed Dist.
D O Y O U R PA R T – keep them contained in your garden
WATER GARDEN PLANTS
YOU CAN HELP