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I have a Wildlife Nurseries catalog and they sell aquatic plants for bass cover and cover for other fish. Some of the plants in the catalog that I am considering and researching are:

Redhead Grass, sometimes called Bassweed (Potamogeton richardsonii)

Long-Leaf Pond Plant (Potamogeton nodosus) (P. americanus, B&B)

Wapato Duck Potato or Arrowhead (Sagittaria latifolia)

Deep Water Duck Potato (Sagittaria rigida)

Pickerel Plant (pontederia cordata)

Arrow-arum or Wapee Duck Corn (Peltandra virginica)

Has anyone ever had any good or bad experiences with any of these plants?

Is there any worry about these plants taking in a 127 acre lake?

What about the plant Elodea (Elodea canadensis) (Anacharis canadensis, N.F)? This plant looks a lot like hydrilla. Does it have the same negative impact as hydrilla?







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I've got quite a bit of Elodea in my lake, and as others have told me on here, it's not necessarily a good thing. The full common name is Brazilian Elodea, which, as Greg Grimes pointed out to me, tells you right off it's a non-native species. It's thick, it spreads quickly, and you've probably got better choices in your list above.

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toph20 said it. i never reccomend starting a non native species. i dont have much experience with the plants on your list but i have fought elodea quite a bit. it can get very thick and at times spread very quickly. 127 acres is fairly large but it could get smaller by the day. preserve your acreage it is a precious thing these days.

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Your talking about 2 different weeds here. Elodea canadensis is a native northern weed. Brazilian Elodeais a different genus & species called Egeria densa. Both of these plants are similar to Hydrilla, which is an exotic southern plant. Elodea prefers cooler water, but Hydrilla & Egeria densa will grow thick in warm water.

Lake Vilbig, I'll give you my take on the other plants that you mentioned:

Redhead Grass, sometimes called Bassweed (Potamogeton richardsonii) We call this one Clasping-leaf Pondweed. It is a beneficial plant for waterfowl & fish habitat.

Long-Leaf Pond Plant (Potamogeton nodosus) (P. americanus, B&B) No experience with this one, but it is a beneficial native plant.

Wapato Duck Potato or Arrowhead (Sagittaria latifolia) We probably sell/plant more of these than any other plant. They rarely go "out-of-control," they look nice, they provide cover for small fish, they help suppress wave impact and shoreline erosion and they provide food for wildlife. Don't be suprised if the leaves drop off after you plant them...this is transplant shock, and a new shoot should appear within a couple weeks.

Deep Water Duck Potato (Sagittaria rigida) I have seen this plant grow as a virtual weed. I agree that it may be beneficial, but if it lacks competition and predation, it can go nuts!

Pickerel Plant (pontederia cordata) Pickerel Weed has many of the same benefits as I listed for Arrowhead, but it can grow thick in up to 2 feet of water.

Arrow-arum or Wapee Duck Corn (Peltandra virginica). Same as Arrowhead...this is a good plant.

Mike Robinson
Keystone Hatcheries


Mike Robinson
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The "Elodea canadensis" that I am trying to research is a native plant (from what I have read on the web). It looks like that there is a difference between this and the Brazilian elodea or hydrilla.

I got this info off the link below:

http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/plants/native/elodea.html

American Waterweed - A Common Native Plant

American waterweed (Elodea canadensis) is what many people commonly think of as "that aquarium plant." It is also known by several other common names such as Canadian waterweed, common elodea, or anacharis. The use of these names causes it to be confused with similar-looking nonnative plants like Brazilian elodea or hydrilla. American waterweed is an attractive aquarium plant, and is a good substitute for Brazilian elodea since it is native to Washington's lakes, ponds, and rivers. In fact, due to its availability in the aquarium trade, it has been introduced to several countries where it is not native, and is now considered a noxious weed in those regions (parts of Europe, Australia, Africa, Asia, and New Zealand).

American waterweed is usually fairly easy to distinguish from its more notorious relatives, like Brazilian elodea and hydrilla.

All of them have leaves in whorls around the stem. However, American waterweed has three leaves per whorl, whereas hydrilla and Brazilian elodea almost always have more than three leaves per whorl. Brazilian elodea is also a much larger, bushy plant with longer leaves. In the photograph, Brazilian elodea is the plant to the right. The two American waterweeds plants are at the top left - the plant in the middle is bushy because it was growing in higher light than the more spindly waterweed plant to its left. American waterweed also looks very much like another native elodea, Elodea nuttallii, which generally has three narrower leaves per whorl.
American waterweed lives entirely underwater with the exception of small white flowers which bloom at the surface and are attached to the plant by delicate stalks. It produces winter buds from the stem tips which overwinter on the lake bottom. It also often overwinters as an evergreen plant in mild climates. In the fall leafy stalks will detach from the parent plant, float away, root, and start new plants. This is American waterweed's most important method of spreading, with seed production playing a relatively minor role.

Silty sediments and water rich in nutrients favor the growth of American waterweed and in nutrient-rich lakes, it is sometimes perceived as a nuisance. However, it will grow in a wide range of conditions, from very shallow to deep water, and in many sediment types. It can even continue to grow unrooted, as floating fragments. It is found throughout temperate North America, and is one of the most common aquatic plants in Washington.

American waterweed is an important part of lake ecosystems. It provides good habitat for many aquatic invertebrates and cover for young fish and amphibians. Waterfowl, especially ducks, as well as beaver and muskrat eat this plant. Also, it is of economic importance as an attractive and easy to keep aquarium plant.

Last Updated February 24, 2003







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Thanks for the info Mike.

We have just a few water plants on our lake, one is the American Waterwillow (Justicia americana)and the other is Muskgrass (chara species). I am mainly looking for a plant to protect us from Cormorants and help our smaller fish. We could also use some pretty plants on our lake too. Our cattails and rushes are few due to the nutria and beavers.

Thanks againg,
Al Kohutek

web site:
www.lakevilbig.org

our plants:
http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=4001548&a=30445124&f=0

Habitat Assessment web page:
http://www.lakevilbig.org/survey3.htm







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Al, I like Elodea and it may work well because the summer heat would probably check its growth. However, when ever you plant a weed, you need to be prepared to deal with it if it grows beyond what you think is acceptible.

Other great plants that you can consider in Texas include:
Eel Grass or Wild Celery (Vallisneria americana)
American Water Plantain (Alisma subcordatum)
Spike Rush (Eleocharis spp.)
Rushes (Juncus spp.)
Bulrushes (Scirpus spp.)
Sweet Flag (Acorus calamus)
Iris (Iris spp.)

Good luck!


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We have used some of the plants as well in the ponds that we manage. Mostly we plant Water Iris, Pickeral, Arrowhead, and Arrow arum. You need to know that some of these species are enjoyed by waterfowl and they may decide to have lunch on your newly planted plants and could set back your results. All of these are great for shoreline stabilization. I would recommend that you try planting just a few of each first and see what grows best in your area so that you do not waste your time and money on plants that will not flourish in your lake. Also watch and see what heights that they grow to as well. Happy planting.

Jerry

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Lots of good information is the above comments but I would appreciate 2 or 3 specific rcommendations for our situation.
We have a 5 acre pond in a rural, but developing area outside of Memphis. It is an old (1940s) pond that I renovated and enlarged 5 years ago.
It is in a very natural setting with lots of hardwoods and an open field in the surrounding area. We entertain a lot here with cookouts, scout campouts, etc. Fishing is good for lmb, bream, catfish and even crappie. The pond is irregular in shape and has 2 islands in it.
I would like to plant some type of aquatic vegetation in 2 or spots for the purpose of aesthetic appeal, as well as, fish/wildlife structure, food source, etc. We have lots of ducks, primarly teal and woodies and Canadian geese (nasty things).
Please give me just a few plants to consider.

Thank you.

Mark Jenkins

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Hybrid water lilies would be an obvious 'first choice' for a pond, creating shade from hot sun, food for many aquatic species.... and well, they are about as good looking as you can get on a pond...

Aquatic iris might be next to locate and plant, while they may seem slow growing, when they get to form large bold groups they form extensive root networks which provide great shelter for crustaceans and tiddlers, create shade in the hottest locations, great foliage through the year, in numbers they have a good reputation for improving water quality, quite easy to lift and create new positions, rather well behaved plants on just about every criterion...

Yellow flag iris tends to be a bit too large and invasive, that is just about the only badly behaved iris there is on a pond. Good ones might be considered to be louisiana, laevigata, virginica, sibirica

As they take a while to bulk up numbers, I'd be tempted to establish those early

Beneficial 'natives' like pickerel, Arrowhead. Arrow Arum and smaller forms of cattails (typha laxmanii, angustifolia) could follow those. The two big native cat tails should be kept well away from any lake, they tend to become unmanageable...

Regards, andy


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