pond plants - papyrus, canna, etc

Question
Hi!

I live in Jerusalem, the equivalent of usda zone 9. I would like to grow some plants in my tiny pond.

1)I have some papyrus (not the dwarf) and it is small, but in the shade. Can it live in shade indefinitely or will it decline and die.

2) I saw pictures in a magazine of canna growing in water (the top above, but the bottom submerged). Can I really do this with any canna? I usually leave canna in the ground when dormant - can I leave it in the pond or should I take it out and dry it?

Thanks a lot!

All the best...

Answer
Papyrus likes semi-shade.  Since it's warm where you are, it is probably better to have shade than sun.  If it is in 100% shade, I would move it to get some sun for just an hour or two a day at least.

Some canna will grow in water but others do not do well.  Around here, they generally call those that do well, "water canna" but I don't know what the real difference is.  Most plants can grow hydroponically (their roots in the water).  I've stored tropical canna over our winter here in damp sphagnum moss.  If it goes dormant there, you can remove it from the water and store it in the ground if it's warm enough or dry it and keep it in damp sphagnum or something similar.  It may survive if left in the pond only if it stays warm enough but there's more of a chance that it could rot.

I have few tropical pond plants so I'm not an expert in this area.  Good luck!

Robyn
fishpondinfo.com