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 is good for water bodies…
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 a major factor in fish…
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 cylindrical whorled branches with 6-16…
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 toxin production. Due to oxygen…
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 rivers. It can be found…
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. Concern: With the right conditions,…
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 of this species that is…
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 threat to native aquatic ecosystems.…
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 from reaching submerged vegetation. When…
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 aggressive and will shade out…