• The swamp milkweed attracts monarch butterflies to the pond side.Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images
  
  Pond side perennials can help control soil erosion, stabilize the bank and offer years of beauty. Adding landscape plants around the perimeter of a pond can provide a sense of definition to the border. To survive beside a pond, the plant must be able to tolerate a wet root system for an extended time period.
  
  

Jack-In-The-Pulpit

• The jack-in-the-pulpit plant (Arisaema triphyllum) grows well in moist, water-logged soil. An herbaceous perennial, it attains a height of approximately 2 feet. The plant does not blossom until it reaches the age of 5 years, according to the Missouri Botanical Garden. The flower spike contains tiny green or purple flowers. Around the spike a spathe forms that looks like a hood over the flower spike. It has a green, white and purplish striped appearance. The straplike leaves have a tropical appearance and measure up to 1 1/2 inches in length. At first only male flowers appear, but as the seasons pass, female flowers also occur on the same plant. Red berries appear in clusters following flowering and persist into fall. It grows best in partial or full shade.
  
  All parts of the jack-in-the-pulpit are poisonous.
  
  

Goat's Beard

• The goat's beard (Aruncus dioicus) grows to a height of up to 6 feet with a width of up to 4 feet. It grows best in partial shade or full sunlight with moist, fertile soil. The plant forms a large, bushy clump. During April and May, it produces creamy plumelike flower sprays that look similar to large feathers. The male plants produce a more abundant floral display, according to the Missouri Botanical Garden. The dark green, compound leaves have a rough texture. The plant spreads rapidly by its rhizome roots and will quickly colonize the area beside the pond. A hardy perennial, it suffers from no serious disease or pest problems.
  
  

Swamp Weed

• The swamp weed (Selliera radicans) thrives in bogs, waterlogged soil and in saline heavy soil. An attractive perennial ground cover, it produces a dense mat along the pond's edge. It spreads through underground stems and a rhizome root system. The leaves are fleshy, bright green and oval. During the summer months, the plant produces a wealth of small white flowers with a yellow center surrounded by a purplish hue. It grows well in partial to full shade. Despite its affinity for moist, often waterlogged soil, the plant has the capability of surviving well in dry soil conditions.
  
  

Swamp Milkweed

• The swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata) grows to a height of up to 4 feet. It grows well in wet or waterlogged soil. Plant in full sunlight or partial shade for the best growth. It produces large pink flower clusters from early summer into fall. The foliage appears straplike in shape. Seed pods appear on the plant following flowering and remain into winter. The plant provides a valuable food source for the monarch butterfly caterpillars, according to the University of Texas at Austin.
  
  Avoid planting the swamp milkweed near areas frequented by children or pets since all parts of the plant are toxic.