Trees and Shrubs
| The plant profiles that follow give a brief introduction to some of the most important groups of trees and shrubs that can be used successfully in the water garden. There are several, like the Swamp Cypress, Taxodium distichum, which actually live in the water. In the case of this remarkable deciduous conifer, it has adapted so well to an aquatic lifestyle, that it produces strange breathing roots known as “knees”, which emerge above the surface of the water.
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 The Swamp Cypress has structures called “knees".
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 The Weeping Willow requires plenty of room to develop.
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The Weeping Willow, Salix babylonica, is always greatly appreciated, providing that there is sufficient room for it to develop successfully. However, there are often question marks about its suitability for the Australian landscape, especially the prospect of it further populating the banks of our natural waterways and causing disruption to local wildlife, for it is a quite dominating species. No such problem with the various swamp and moisture-loving Gum trees. Amongst the Eucalyptus are several like the Red River Gum, E.camaldulensis, that are readily adaptable to bog garden or waterside life.
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| None appear to pose any threat to the bush environment. Most prefer moist to wet soil, although the Northern Salmon Gum, Eucalyptus bigalerita, will grow in standing water for a considerable part of the year if obliged to do so. Surprisingly some of the Wattles, or Acacia, are moisture-loving. For the most part these are usually regarded as trees or shrubs of barren hostile areas or dry tangled bush. However, several require constantly wet or at the very least moist soil, including the lovely Sydney Golden Wattle, Acacia longifolia. This is an excellent tree for general garden planting as well as for the bog garden or waterside.
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 The Red River Gum is well adapted to wet soil.
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 Constantly moist soil is essential for the Sydney Golden Wattle.
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The Paperbarks or Melaleuca are well known as plants of wet areas, paperbark swamps being characteristic natural features of the Australian outback that are known around the world. Not all Melaleuca species enjoy wet conditions, but there are sufficient available to please the most discriminating gardener. Amongst the favourites for bog garden and stream-side planting are M.linariifolia and M.decussata.
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