28 April/May 2013 | Sarasota Pet & Manatee Pet

Pond Plants & Your KoiBy Lisa Burns, Backyard Getaway

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Lisa Burns, co-owner of Backyard Getaway in Myakka City

Plants that are not toxic to humans may still be a problem for your pond fish. The seeds of most plants will swell in the pond, and if your Koi eat the seeds, they could plug up the Koi’s digestive tract. Don’t panic! You don’t have to start ripping plants out of your yard and pond. If you have children or pets, you could transplant these plants to an area out of reach. Of course, it’s always important to keep an eye on small chil-dren and curious pets while they are in your garden. As for the pond, all you need to do is make sure the toxic plants also are out of reach of your Koi. Before you make your wish list of new plants for your garden, you may want to review the species below. These are just a few of the more common toxic garden plants, some of which you will recognize as pond plants. Keep in mind that this is just a partial list that provides com-mon names and the part of the plant that is known to be toxic.

pring is just around the corner, and soon it will be time to start thinking about pruning and replacing the plants in our gardens that didn’t survive the winter.

At Backyard Getaway, we often talk to our customers about the importance of using native plants in the garden and discuss how some plants are edible. But, are you—like most people—unaware that many common garden and water garden plants are toxic? Some of these commonly used plant species can be harmful to our pets, as well as to humans. Remember if the plants are toxic in humans or our pets, they also will be toxic to our Koi. House plants also can be dangerous. Toxic houseplants include elephant ear, philodendron, English Ivy, Amaryllis and the peace lily, to name just a few.

Backyard Getaway is a family owned and operated pond service and retail pond and water garden supply business, offering professional and personalized water garden & pond design, installation & pond maintenance services. Open by appointment only, Backyard Getaway is located at 2807 S. Duette Road in Myakka City. For more informa-tion or an appointment, call 941-752-POND (7663), or visit www.backyardgetaway.net.

Amaryllis .......................................................................... BulbsBird of Paradise .............................................................SeedsBaneberry ..................................................... Berries & RootsCalla Lily ......................................................................... LeavesDaffodil ............................................................................. BulbsEnglish Ivy .....................................................................BerriesFoxglove.......................................................... Leaves & SeedsHyacinth........................................................................... BulbsJasmine .........................................................................BerriesLantana ...................................................... Immature BerriesLocoweed ....................................................................All PartsMock Orange .................................................................... FruitOak ................................................................ Acorns & FoliagePoinsettia.....................................................Leaves & FlowersRedwood ............................................................................. SapSnapdragon ................................................................All partsTomato ........................................................................... Leaves

Plants Toxic PartsBlack Locust Bark .................................... Sprouts & FoliageButtercup ...........................................................Sap & LeavesCherry ...........................................Bark, Twigs, Leaves & PitsCoral Plant ......................................................................SeedsEggplant............................... Everything but the Fruit ItselfElephant Ears ................................................ Leaves & StemHemlock.......................................................................All PartsIris ..................................................................................... BulbsJava Bean ....................................................... Uncooked BeanLaurel ...........................................................................All PartsMistletoe ......................................................................BerriesMorning Glories .........................................................All PartsPine ...................................................................................... SapPotato .......................................................... Eyes, New RootsRhubarb .......................................................................... LeavesTiger Lily ......................................................................All PartsTulip ................................................................................... Bulbs

Plants Toxic Parts

Plant toxicity information provided by: http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/17-common-poisonous-plants.aspx;http://www.petfinder.com/cats/cat-health/plants-toxic-cats-dogs/;http://www.aspca.org/Pet-care/poison-control/plant-list-dogs.aspx

When adding plants to your outdoor pond, keep in mind that plants that are toxic in humans and pets also are toxic for your koi.

Pond designed by Backyard GetawayBird of Paradise Photo: ©BigStockPhoto.com/Kerry Kay-Smith;

Calla Lily photo: ©BigStockPhoto.com/Anca Enache

HEALTHALERT!