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Pond Weed Identification and Aquatic Weed Types

Ponds grow a variety of pond weed types, many of which look similar. The aquatic weed identification information below lists the most common weed types -- including emergent, submerged, and floating weeds -- to help you explore and identify aquatic weeds in your pond or lake.

For those looking for weed control solutions, Lake Restoration has developed all-in-one pond and lake weed control kits that make it unnecessary to identify the type of weeds in your pond. Feel free to use the information below to facilitate your pond weed identification goals, or contact us today to talk to our customer support team about the right control product for your pond or lake.

Floating Plants & Algae

Algae

Algae is commonly referred to as "pond scum" or "pond moss" and typically forms greenish mats upon the water's surface.

Duckweed

Duckweed floats wherever the wind or currents take it, absorbing nutrients from the leaf undersurface and a very fine root hanging from it.

Pond Watermeal

Watermeal

Watermeal is small in size and free floating. It is the world’s smallest flowering plant and resembles small grains of green cornmeal.

Water Hyacinth

Water Hyacinth can grow in height to 1 meter above water the surface and is supported by an erect stalk with a single spike of 8 to 15 flowers.

Water Lettuce

Water Lettuce

Water lettuce is an aquatic weed commonly found in the southeast region of the United States. It grows in expansive mats that block sunlight to submerged aquatic plants, leading to lowered levels of bio-diversity.

Submerged Plants

Milfoil

Eurasian milfoil is an exotic invasive submersed perennial. It reproduces both vegetatively and, less commonly, sexually (seeds). A single piece of fragmented Eurasian milfoil can multiply into 250 million new plants in one year!

Hydrilla

Hydrillia

Hydrilla is a submerged aquatic plant from the genus Hydrilla. Hydrilla stems are up to 25 feet long and branched with oppositely arranged leaves at the bottom. Upper portions of the Hydrilla plant can have 2 to 8 whorls of leaves around the stem.

Curly Leaf

Curly-Leaf Pondweed

Curly-Leaf Pondweed appears reddish-brown in the water, but is actually green when examined out of water. Its leaves are wavy, stiff and crinkled, with a “crispy” texture (0.5 in. wide and 2-3 in. long).

Clasping Leaf

Clasping-Leaf Pondweed

Clasping-leaf pondweed can be easily identified by its thin, delicate, oval shaped leaves. The leaves are wide and wavy with a broad base that 'clasps' the stem.

Coontail

Coontail

Coontail lacks true roots, though it may be loosely anchored to the sediment by pale modified leaves. The central stem of the plant is hollow. The plant's dark green leaves are 1-3 cm long and are spiny and forked.

Naiad

Naiad

Naiads are perrenial freshwater plants that like to grow in standing waters. The majority of their growth is done typically in the spring and early summer.

Sago Pondweed

Sago Pondweed

Sago Pondweed is a very common species of submersed plant that is found in both lakes and ponds. It’s usually found in depths of 1-2 meters and is a bottom-rooting species.

Emergent Plants

Cattail

Cattail

Cattails are thickly rooted with leaf blades that are long and strap-like flat, about 1" wide, and rounded on the back. The slender stalks range between 3' and 10' tall and are topped by a cigar-shaped "cattail" called a catkin.

Water Lily

Water Lily

The yellow water lily has large heart-shaped leaves between 8 and 16 inches that float on the surface. Leaf veins extend laterally from midrib. It's flower is bright yellow, with a single row of petals.

Watershield

Watershield

Watershield is a rooted plant that floats on the surface similar to water lilies. Watershield leaves are typically between one inch and two inches across.

Phragmites

Phragmites were at one point considered an invasive and exotic species in North America, however, recent evidence has shown that the plants are actually native.

Purple Loostrife

Purple Loosestrife

Purple loosestrife is an invasive species that grows along the edges of slow moving water bodies. The plants can grow as tall as 2 meters with 30-50 stems.

Bulrush

Bulrush

Bulrush is a perennial, emergent, grass-like wetland plant often found growing in large colonies. Bulrush may have a round shaped stem, often hollow, and without leaves.

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