Planktonic Algae (Chlamydomonas, Chorella, Euglena, Closterium, Anacystis spp., etc.)

[ult_animation_block animation=”slideInLeft” animation_duration=”3″ animation_delay=”0″ animation_iteration_count=”1″] This is microscopic algae that float in the water column, that grow very quickly. A bloom of the algae causes the water to become colored and can look green, blue, or reddish. Severe blooms often resemble pea soup or you may see a paint-like scum on shorelines. Concern: Planktonic algae…

Filamentous Algae (Spirogyra, cladophore and many other varieties)

[ult_animation_block animation=”slideInLeft” animation_duration=”3″ animation_delay=”0″ animation_iteration_count=”1″] This is commonly referred to as “pond scum”. It has a thread like appearance and often forms surface mats. Growth begins at the bottom of shallow water or on structures in the water and rises to the surface as oxygen becomes trapped by the filaments. Concern: Algae blooms have been…

Chara (Muskgrass)

[ult_animation_block animation=”slideInLeft” animation_duration=”3″ animation_delay=”0″ animation_iteration_count=”1″] This is an advanced form of algae often mistaken as a submerged flowering plant. It is often called muskgrass or skunkweed because of its foul odor. It is a gray-green color, has no flowers and will not extend above the water surface. It has a grainy or crunchy texture and…

Blue-Green Algae (Cyanobacteria)

[ult_animation_block animation=”slideInLeft” animation_duration=”3″ animation_delay=”0″ animation_iteration_count=”1″] It is most often blue-green in color, but can also be blue, green, reddish-purple, or brown. It generally grows in lakes, ponds, and slow-moving streams when the water is warm and enriched with nutrients. Concerns: Discolored water, reduced light penetration, taste and odor problems, dissolved oxygen depletions during die-off, and…

Starry Stonewort (Nitellopsis obtuse) – Prohibited in Michigan

[ult_animation_block animation=”slideInLeft” animation_duration=”3″ animation_delay=”0″ animation_iteration_count=”1″] Starry Stonewort looks like a plant but is a macroalga. The stems are made up of several giant cells that are held together by “nodes” consisting of several smaller cells. Star shaped bulbils are produced at the nodes and are generally 3-6 mm wide. It invades lakes, ponds, and slow-moving…

Purple Loosestrife (Lythrum salicaria) – Restricted in Michigan

[ult_animation_block animation=”slideInLeft” animation_duration=”3″ animation_delay=”0″ animation_iteration_count=”1″] This is a perennial herb with a woody, square stem. Leaves are arranged in whorls. They are lance shaped, stalk less and heart shaped or rounded at the base. The plant can grow from 4-10 feet along roadsides and in wetlands. They produce magenta colored flower spikes with 5-7 petals.…

Phragmites (Common Reed) (Phragmites australis)

Phragmites (Common Reed) (Phragmites australis) – Restricted in Michigan

[ult_animation_block animation=”slideInLeft” animation_duration=”3″ animation_delay=”0″ animation_iteration_count=”1″] Leaves are green to grayish-green, flat and smooth. This is a perennial grass that can grow up to 15 feet tall. The flowers grow dense, branched clusters on the end of each stem that are open, and feathery at maturity. This is a native plant, but there is a strain…

Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillate) – Watch List – Prohibited in Michigan

[ult_animation_block animation=”slideInLeft” animation_duration=”3″ animation_delay=”0″ animation_iteration_count=”1″] Leaves are bright green with visible saw-toothed margins and are rough. Leaves grow in whorls of 4-8 along the stem. The stems are very slender, can grow up to 30 feet long and branch out considerably near the water surface. This is a submerged aquatic plant. Concern: Hydrilla is a…

European Frog-bit (Hydrocharis morsus-ranae) – Watch List – Prohibited in Michigan

[ult_animation_block animation=”slideInLeft” animation_duration=”3″ animation_delay=”0″ animation_iteration_count=”1″] Leaves are small, kidney-shaped to heart shaped with a purple-red underside. It is free floating or sometimes rooted in shallow water. It is often found amongst cattails. It has a single white flower with 3 round petals and a yellow center. Concerns: Dense mats can form preventing nutrients and light…

Eurasian Watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) – Restricted in Michigan

[ult_animation_block animation=”slideInLeft” animation_duration=”3″ animation_delay=”0″ animation_iteration_count=”1″] Leaves are greyish-green with finely divided pairs of leaflets that give it a feather like appearance. Leaves are arranged in whorls of 3-6 around the stem at each node. Each leaf generally has 12 or more leaflet pairs. This is an emergent, herbaceous aquatic plant. Concerns: Eurasian watermilfoil is very…