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.
Water Stargrass
Water stargrass has thin green leaves and small, yellow, star–shaped flowers.
Bur Reed
Bur reed is a tall grass-like plant with distinctive prickly-looking flowers.
Frog’s Bit
Frog’s Bit is an emergent aquatic plant with round to heart-shaped leaves and white flowers.
Spatterdock, Cow Lily
Spatterdock has large heart-shaped leaves that float on the water or stand up some and yellow flowers.
Arrowhead
Arrowhead has large arrow–like leaves and white flowers.
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
Bulrushes are long grass–like plants with brown spiky flowers that bloom in spring.
Purple Loosestrife
Purple loosestrife has woody, square stems with purple flowers at the ends.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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).
Hydrilla
Hydrilla is a submerged 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.
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