Plant Identification

On this page are just a few common aquatic plants you should know. If in doubt, contact a local fish and game specialist.

CURLYLEAF PONDWEED—(right) Undesirable exotic. Also known as Crisp pondweed. Waxy cuticle on upper leaves making them stiff and brittle. Leaves resemble lasagna noodles. Grow in dense mats near the surface. Native plants cannot get sun and space. Massive natural die-off in summer lowers oxygen level and kills fish.

LARGELEAF PONDWEED—(left) Thick, large stems and broad leaves. Submerged leaves look wavy and taper toward the stem. Floating leaves are egg shaped.<<<

FLOATINGLEAF PONDWEED—(above) Distinguished by shape of two different types of leaves. Floating leaves are slightly heart shaped. Below the water are very long and narrow, if at all. Many species of fish use this plant for cover in streams, lakes and ponds.

WILD CELERY—(right) Commonly known as eelgrass or tape grass. Submersed plant can form thick beds and dominate an area. Grass-like leaves have distinctive vein pattern. Flaccid when out of the water, foliage occurs in tufts, much like turf grass. Prefers soft muck.>>>

CLASPINGLEAF PONDWEED—(left) Extremely leafy at the tip. Can be easily confused with Curly leaf. Both have wavy submerged leaves. Clasping leaf leaves, however, are  not serrated.<<<

COONTAIL—(right) Desirable aquatic plant supports waterfowl, fish and insects. Thick growths around shore can be problem. Lacks true roots and commonly floats near the surface in late summer. Stiff leaves are whorled around a hollow stem in groups of 5 to 12. Differentiated from milfoils by forked, not feathery, leaves.>>>

MUSKGRASS—(above) Actually a form of algae. Often confused with coontail or milfoils, has gritty texture and musky odor.

COMMON NAIAD—(right) Ribbon like leaves submersed. Annual plant from seed can form dense mass by summer. Southern naiad is leafier with reddish brown stems.>>>

EURASIAN WATERMILFOIL pictured at left is a nasty non-native aquatic plant that is very difficult to eradicate. Cutting it produces small fragments and each fragment can grow another plant!

Chemical treatment can be marginally successful but is usually not lasting or requires re-treatment.>>>

CLICK HERE for Aquatic Plant control law.

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