Aquaponics is a system for growing plants without soil by using fish to help fertilize the water. The popularity of aquaponic gardening has grown in recent years, and with it, there has been an increased interest in what kind of flowers can be grown this way. Below you will find a list of the best flowers for aquaponics that are perfect for people of all skill levels.
Best Flowers for Aquaponics
Sunflower
Sunflowers (Buy Seeds Online) are one of the best flowers for aquaponics. These large flowers love having constant access to water and sunflowers will also attract pollinators such as bees to your system. And their pollen and nectar will also provide food for these pollinating insects, giving them a good reason to stay around their new home. And when they fully mature their seeds are an excellent food source for people as well.
Roses
Roses (Buy Live Plants Online) can be grown in a flood and drain aquaponics system. It can be tricky to keep roses happy in an aquaponics system, but the results are well worth it. A healthy rose plant is also pretty easy to care for once it gets going, and unlike other flowers, they are fairly cold tolerant; and moreover, they create a beautiful tableau by themselves with scent, colors, shapes, motion, fragrance all of which make them an excellent addition to an aquaponic garden.
Marigolds
Marigolds (Buy Seeds Online) can be added to your aquaponics system for a number of reasons, one being that they’ll be good at deterring certain pest insects. Marigolds also have an aesthetic purpose as well as a pest repellent function. Their bright colors just will make any space more attractive. And their fragrant blooms also produce copious amounts of nectar and pollen which will help them attract beneficial insects.
Water Lily
The Water Lily (Buy Live Plants Online) is a fantastic flower for an aquaponics system because it requires very little maintenance, has many colors to choose from, and is tolerant of a wide range of conditions. Water lilies are an excellent choice for any climate and water temperature- range. And they’re also a great flower for aquaponics if you want to cover the surface of your holding tanks to help block out light to slow down the growth of algae.
Water Hyacinth
Water Hyacinth (Buy Live Plants Online) is a flower that has lush green leaves, and they produce beautiful flowers that are blue or purple. Water hyacinth is so good at cleaning water that it will bloom gloriously in a nutrient-rich aquaponics system. And they prefer to grow in warm water, and for this reason, they are regulated in most regions that don’t experience a freeze in the winter since they can be highly invasive.
Pansies
Pansies (Buy Seeds Online) are inexpensive and easily obtainable, durable, beautiful, easy to plant outside and enjoy in an aquaponics system. They make great early and late season flowers since they like to grow in cool weather. Pansies are also an excellent flower for an aquaponics system since they are fully edible flowers that you can use as a garnish on salads.
Nasturtium
Nasturtiums (Buy Seeds Online) are a good choice for aquaponics systems because they are quick to mature, thrive in any condition, and have beautiful flower shapes. They also work well for attracting other beneficial insects that prey on mosquitoes. They are also fully edible and they have a nice spicy flavor that pairs well with a tilapia salad.
Peace Lilies
The Peace Lily (Buy Live Plants Online) is a great go-to flower for an aquaponics system and they’re exceptionally hardy and easy to care for, and they grow just as well on land or in water. Peace Lillies are dead simple to grow and if you just want something beautiful and don’t care about it growing like a weed or providing food, then you’ll definitely want to look into growing this flower.
Hoya
Hoyas (Buy Seeds Online) are one of the best plants for aquaponics because their flowers are beautiful and fragrant, and they are easy to maintain. This flowering vine grows best in humid areas, and it can grow with some indirect sunlight or light shade as well to match a greenhouse environment, but not a lot of direct sunlight is appropriate for this plant. Plus, the flowers on this plant smell fantastic, so it’s perfect for an aquaponic garden because they attract beneficial insects that will help control pests that could be eating your plants.
Snapdragons
Snapdragons (Buy Seeds Online) are one of the best flowers for aquaponics. They have a strong, sweet fragrance and beautiful blooms in a wide assortment of colors that cover the whole spectrum. Their flowers can be either single or double, with colors that range from the chocolate series of shades to dark purple-red hues.
Snapdragons can be grown on dry land or in an aquaponics system where they will thrive just fine. The most important factor in where you grow them is sunlight and temperature. And just be aware that Snapdragons require lots of light, so choose your location carefully.
Carnations
Carnations (Buy Seeds Online) make a great addition to an aquaponics garden. They can grow in almost any given environment and are found pretty much everywhere, which means they’re easy to grow. But they also work as an indicator of water quality because they are nutrient-sensitive and would show signs of nutrient deficiencies pretty quickly, which can be helpful in troubleshooting an aquaponics system.
Petunia
Petunias (Buy Seeds Online) are an excellent choice for an aquaponics system. They’re not too picky about light and water quality, but they will grow the fastest in the right conditions. Plus, they’re one of the cheapest flowers you can buy which means they’re quite affordable to grow. They can also be used to attract pollinators, control insect populations, and they will grow in most climates
Zinnia
Zinnias (Buy Seeds Online) are one of the best flowers to use in an aquaponics system because they thrive without much attention. They also work really well in hydroponic systems, which makes them great for aquaponic gardens. Zinnias seem to be the undisputed king in the flower world since they are extremely easy to grow. And they’re tolerant of almost any condition you’ll find in an ultra-low-nutrient aquaponics garden while still putting on a lovely show.
Gerbera
Gerbera Daisies (Buy Seeds Online) are easy to grow at any temperature, as they do not require a cold season for settlement. Blue Eyed Daisies are also tolerant of high heat and humidity that’s usually present when growing plants in an aquaponics system. Gerbera daisies are also perfect for scavenging nutrients from an aquatic system because they have deep roots that can pull up a lot of nutrients, and they are very hardy and easy to grow.
Amaranth
Flowering Amaranth (Buy Seeds Online) is a beautiful plant that produces edible seeds, which can be ground into flour or used in baking. I recommend flowering amaranth for anyone looking for a hearty, low-maintenance annual that will produce a lot of biomass in the background of a tray while adding a touch of color to your aquaponics garden.
Conclusion
There are many flowers that work well with aquaponics. This article has given you some of the best choices for your system, but we can’t cover them all here. If you need help finding other plants to grow in your aquaponics system feel free to reach out to us with any questions you might have.
