The Dangers Of Poisonous Trees And Plants Near Your Garden Fish Pond

If you are a pond keeper it is imperative to ensure that certain species of tree that are poisonous are kept away from your fish pond or water garden. The vast majority of trees shed their leaves, particularly during the fall. The last thing you want is for your Koi and other pond fish to eat the leaves, as they fall into the pond water.

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The biggest problem in relation to having any tree species around a fish pond is the shedding of leaves. Even if the leaves are not poisonous the increased levels of organic matter falling into or blowing into the pond is bad news. If the leaves are not removed either by a skimmer or pond net as they fall into the water there is an increased chance for them to fall to the pond floor and rot. This decaying process increases the levels of ammonia and carbon dioxide; nobody wants that!

A garden pond net covering is a viable solution but does in my opinion detract from the overall look and feel of the pond and surrounding trees; needs must in many cases however!

You may think that I’m okay because I have a pond surface skimmer to remove the leaves. Although the pond skimmer will remove the leaves, it may not do so in time. Koi are inquisitive, hungry creatures that will investigate any new pond presence pretty much straight away!

There is something majestic about the look of a beautiful fish pond surrounded by trees and foliage. Unfortunately this image can be sadly lost if you select the wrong type of tree to plant.

The right selection of tree species will certainly provide a welcome respite for your Koi, goldfish, toads and other aquatic life from a hot summer day, as its shadow prevents the water from heating quickly.

The welcoming shade helps to block out UV rays, in turn helping to control the build up of suspended algae and blanket weed. The cooler water helps oxygen to dissolve from the atmosphere into the water much more easily.

Laburnum Tree - Poisonous Trees And Plants Not To Use Around A Pond

When selecting trees to place around a pond avoid the following, or select them at your peril! The laburnum, bay, laurel, yew and lime tree all cause problems. Other tree species, whilst not necessarily poisonous have large root systems that will eventually interfere with your liner pond; the poplar tree varieties, willows and sycamores are examples of trees to avoid. Other plants and trees that are known to be poisonous ...

Plant Name	Poisonous Parts	Plant Name	Poisonous Parts
Allamanda	all parts	Japanese laurel	all parts
Aloe	leaves	Indian Turnip	all parts
Alocasia	leaves and stems	Iris	leaves, roots and rhizomes
Allspice	leaves and seeds	Jasmine	berries
Amaryllis	Bulbs	Lantana	all parts
Anemone	all parts	Larkspur	all parts
Anthurium	all parts	Laurel	all parts
Apricot	leaves	Lobelia	leaves
Azalea	all parts	Locust	bark, leaves and seeds
Baneberry	berries and roots	Locoweed	all parts
Bird of Paradise	seeds	Lupine	all parts
Black Locust Bark	sprouts and foliage	Marijuana	all parts
Black walnut	hulls	Mayapple	all parts
Boxwood	leaves and stems	Mimosa	all parts
Buttercup - sap, leaves	sap and leaves	Mistletoe	berries
Calla Lily	leaves	Mock Orange	fruit
California tern	roots and seeds	Morning Glory	all parts
Carolina jasmine	all parts	Mustard	roots and seeds
Caladium	all parts	Narcissus	bulbs
Cherry	bark, twigs, leaves and pits	Nightshade	Nightshade
Colocasia	all parts	Oak	acorns and foliage
Coral Plant	seeds	Oleander	all parts
Croton	seeds	Peach	leaves
Daffodil	bulbs	Philodendron	all parts
Datura	all parts	Pine	sap
Delphinium	all parts	Poinsettia	leaves and flowers
Death Camas	all parts	Potato	eyes and new roots
Dumbcane (dieffenbachia)	all parts	Privet	berries and leaves
Digitalis	all parts	Prunus varieties	seeds and some other parts
Elephant's Ear	all parts	Ranunculus	all parts
Eggplant	all parts except the fruit	Rhododendron	all parts
English Ivy	all parts	Rhubarb	leaves
Foxglove	all parts	Snapdragon	all parts
Gloriosa lily	all parts	Snowdrop	all parts
Hemlock	all parts	Taro	all parts
Holly	berries	Tomato	leaves
Hyacinth	bulbs	Trumpet vine	all parts
Jack-in-the-pulpit	all parts	Tulip	bulbs

Some Great Tree And Plant Choices For Around Your Pond

Some of the ash tree varieties are a good choice, as they do not cast too much shade and their root system does not spread like wild wire. The Mountain ash (Sorbus aucuparia 'Asplenifolia) has elder type umbels of flowers in spring, followed by bright red berries in the fall that are almost eclipsed by the stunning red foliage. The Japanese Mountain Ash (Sorbus matsumurana) produces larger orange-red berries.
Crab apple trees are a fairly small tree species that are a great choice for landscaping around a fish pond. The Japanese Crab apple (Malus floribunda) and the scented Malus "Pink Perfection" are good choices.
The Hawthorns or Mays are a great choice if you are looking for a tree that is really tough and hardy. Paul's double scarlet (Craetagus oxycantha 'Coccinea Plena)is very popular. The Common Hawthorn (Crataegus prunifolia)is particularly popular for a touch of fall color. The birds also love the fruit.
The Swedish silver birch (Betula dalecarlica) is great if you are looking for light foliage and a bark that gradually goes whiter over time.

If you have an outdoor pergola, situated near to your pond and are looking to add some evergreen variegated climbers then make sure that you avoid deciduous climbers, such as ivy. This plant species is amongst the most poisonous of all climbing tree varieties.

If you are determined to select evergreen deciduous climbers then the Silver Queen (Euonymus fortunei) is a great option as it grows rapidly and hardly flowers at all; occasionally it does produce flowers but you can easily prune it back.

Sometimes it can be difficult to find the exact plant species that you are looking for. By clicking the following link you will be able to see a comprehensive list of water garden plants showing both their English and Latin plant names to help you find exactly what you are looking for.

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