Weed Control

How to Control Aquatic Weed Types and Aquatic Plants

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.

Weed Chart

Water Stargrass

Water Stargrass

Water stargrass has thin green leaves and small, yellow, star–shaped flowers.

Bur Reed

Bur Reed

Bur reed is a tall grass-like plant with distinctive prickly-looking flowers.

Frogs Bit

Frog’s Bit

Frog’s Bit is an emergent aquatic plant with round to heart-shaped leaves and white flowers.

Spatterdock (Cow Lily)

Spatterdock, Cow Lily

Spatterdock has large heart-shaped leaves that float on the water or stand up some and yellow flowers.

Arrowhead (Bull Tongue)

Arrowhead

Arrowhead has large arrow–like leaves and white flowers.

Pickerelweed

Pickerelweed

Pickerelweed has elongated heart–shaped leaves with violet-blue flowers.

Parrot’s Feather

Parrot’s feather has feathered leaves that come above the water’s surface and can look like they are made of plastic.

Floating Primrose

Floating primrose leaves emerge from the water’s surface and the plant blooms with five-petal yellow flowers.

Bulrush

Bulrush

Bulrushes are long grass–like plants with brown spiky flowers that bloom in spring.

Purple Loosestrife

Purple Loosestrife

Purple loosestrife has woody, square stems with purple flowers at the ends.

Phragmites

Phragmites

Phragmites have round, hollow stems with a seed head at the end of the stem.

Watershield (Dollar Bonnet)

Water Shield

Water shield’s floating leaves are smaller than lilies, green on the top and brown and slimy on the bottom; flowers are typically brownish.

Waterlily

Water Lily, Lily Pad

Water lily is rooted with large round leaves that have a notch in them; it flowers in summer.

Cattails

Cattails

Cattails are most easily identified by their brown, cylindrical flowers.

Sago Pondweed

Sago pondweed has many thread-like submersed leaves.

Bushy Pondweed (Southern Naiad)

Bushy Pondweed, Southern Naiad

Bushy pondweed has short leaves that are in groups of two or three on the stem with more dense clusters toward the top.

Coontail

Coontail has finely-divided leaves arranged in whorls of five to 12 and is bushier towards the top. It has a hollow stem and lacks true roots.

Clasping-Leaf Pondweed

Clasping-leaf pondweed has short leaves with pointed tips that clasp around the stem.

Curly-Leaf Pondweed

Curly-Leaf Pondweed

Curly-leaf pondweed has green to reddish leaves with wavy edges that have fine teeth.

Hydrilla

Hydrilla is a rooted submerged plant with whorled green leaves that have tiny teeth.