Plants and ponds for dragonflies

[Coolios!]

What are good plants for dragonflies and what pond sizes, depths and position? Especially for Broad Bodied Chasers and Southern Hawkers.

[Deb London]

You want something emergent, like an iris or flag. If this is for a garden pond, make sure it won't overtake the pond in a few years. Yellow Flag Iris would be unsuitable I should think.

Follow the planting guide for any plants you buy. Species suitable for the garden pond usually like their roots only a few inches beneath the surface.

[Coolios!]

Do you know what depths dragonflies like and sizes of good ponds, also, do they lay their eggs on plants or bare sediments or anything else?

[Deb London]

I would wait for an expert opinion on this. But I know a fantastic pond for Broad-Bodied Chasers. It's an ornamental pond in the shape of a swimming pool, a few large planting containers in the middle, but not at the edges, about 45 cm deep. Painted blue to add to the swimming pool effect. But it's full of life under the surface, in the dead leaves that have accumulated there. It is in a very sunny walled garden. I found a pic of in on the internet:



HTH

[Coolios!]

thanks!

[Coolios!]

Does anyone know about Southern Hawkers and about whether it's good to have deep areas or shallow areas and know a list of good species that provide for a good habitat.

[King Edward]

Both these species are pretty tolerant, so even a half decent pond ought to attract them. Southern Hawkers usually lay their eggs above the water level in summer, which then hatch after they get submerged when the water rises. So, allowing the water level to fall a bit during summer (due to evaporation) might be beneficial. This isn't essential though.

Apart from that, lots of shallow water would be good. Ideally with at least some of the sides sloping quite gently, so that you have a range of different depths from 1" or 2" down to perhaps 12" or 15". Putting an inch or two of clean play sand on the bottom would be good as well (not soil), especially for the shallow areas (deeper areas will probably accumulate more sediment anyway).

For plants, you could try Water Forget-me-not, Brooklime, Water Mint, Water Crowfoot, Watercress and Floating sweet-grass around the shallows. Flowering rush might be good as well. For deeper areas, some of the native submerged plants like Hornwort, Curled Pondweed and Water Starwort. Either native Yellow Flag Iris (very vigorous) or any of the ornamental water Irises (less vigorous) are good for emerging larvae, but they're not essential. For planting, remove plants from pots (if they're bought ones), remove any soil they're growing in and weight them down on the bottom to root at the appropriate depth.

[Coolios!]

Do the Hawkers lay their eggs on anything specific and where do Broad Bodied Chasers lay their eggs?

[NYBraby]

If you go to puddle plants they have a package of plants you can buy which are suited to cerain types of wildlife, dragonfly being one, linky thing below

dragonfly-damselfly-wildlife native collection-Puddleplants

I've ordered from them twice and been pleased with both orders, very efficient delivery as well, was happily planting my Water Avens and Purple Loosestrife last night after ordering on Monday night...

[King Edward]

Originally Posted by NYBraby

If you go to puddle plants they have a package of plants you can buy which are suited to cerain types of wildlife, dragonfly being one, linky thing below

dragonfly-damselfly-wildlife native collection-Puddleplants

The link specifies 10 plants from the following:
Water plantain, Water mint, Starwort, Hornwort, Brooklime, Branched Bur-reed, Yellow flag, Narrow reed mace, Purple loosestrife, Fringe lily, Bog bean, Marsh marigold, Pendulous sedge, Lesser Spearwort, Flowering rush and Common spike rush

Out of these, for a small pond you'd probably be best avoiding:
Pendulous sedge
Branched Bur-reed (might be OK, but probably too big)
Narrow reedmace (as above)
Yellow flag (OK but probably too vigorous)
Bog bean (attractive, but poor underwater structure)