Pond Boss Forums AQUATIC VEGETATION Identifying plants Anyone know what this stuff is?

I think this stuff came in with some lilies and other plants I bought last spring from a local water garden shop. I didn't notice it until this winter when it was visible growing under the ice near shore. It is starting to spread around the pond. So far only noticeable in shallow water Less than 1 ft deep.

I would appreciate any information anyone could share about it.

Here's another picture of it. I looked at several aquatic plant ID sites and could not find anything like it??

Do I need to be worried or do something about it??

Took a closer look at the weed - what look like lighter colored stems are apparently leaves wrapped around each other. These seem to start at the base of the root area. The upper part of the leave as it flattens out has a vein down the center and several smaller lines or veins parallel to it. The upper part of the leave that is flat is more red in color and it seems to lay flat near the surface of the water.

Could this be either wild celery or ell grass?? I don't see any flowers or seeds or creeping rhizomes. So far longest leaves are only about a foot long.

Thanks for any help with this.

NOT A CLUE!

That's interesting, I hadn't thought of that. I see if I can find some good photos to compare it to.

Thanks CJBS

Looks like some good cover to me, and I think one of your pics has a small fish of some sort in it.

did you just have a increase in water level?

MRHELLO, yes it does seem like good cover. This small pond is only on its second year. I added it up ravine to my main pond as a means to catch nutrient rich runnoff from an adjacent crop field. It is stocked with FHM and GS and a dozen RES. The FHM seem to like the plants and I see schools of them near and in it.

GAC Lake Mgmt, We did recently have a heavy rain but the level on this pond was already at full pool for the last couple of months. I have first noticed this plant green and growing under the ice at waters edge while there was still ice covering the pond.

I have my pond area planted in Bison Grass. When the pond is low and then rises the Bison Grass will go underwater and survive for a long time, and looks like an true water plant for a long period of time. Perhaps that is what happened with your plant. Another example is I have some ground moss that is flooded under water and is thriving and looks beautiful, and different from what it looks like on dry ground.

John, last summer I did notice what looked like grass growing at the edge and in the water of this pond. I thought it might be from the seed mixture I sowed around the new pond. However, now I don't think it is a typical grass variety. I looked at pictures and info on the Bison grass, sweet grasses, and wild rice varieties and it does have some similarities to these but also has differences, so I'm still puzzled.

Thanks for the input.

It is not eel grass. Why not check with the place where you bought the pond plants. They may recognize it. It doesn't look like it is spreading deeper just laterally - correct?

If my memory is correct, someone asked the same question about a year or so ago and it was answered here. The picture of the plant on the water looked identical. But, for the life of me I cannot find that thread now.

Thanks Bill, for confirming it's not eel grass, And that's a good suggestion to check with the plant place - will do next time I can - they are closed for the winter now.

Esshup, any chance you remember if that plant was invasive or a problem? The reason I'm concerned is there is a small patch of this starting to grow in my larger pond. Just trying to determine if I need to go after it before it is really established.

Thanks for the help.

Esshup, after reading your comment, I looked at a lot of the plant ID posts from past and found one that has a photo that looks just like mine. It was a post by Blaine on 12/30/09.

You commented in Blaine's post that it looked like Southern Watergrass. I looked at a lot of internet photos of Southern Watergrass, the ones I found look similar but not exactly like it. Would it be a different variety of Southern Watergrass?

Blaine, If you pick up on this thread, can you comment further about your experience with the grass that is possibly Southern Watergrass? Did it become a problem? Did you have to take control measures?

If it is Southern Watergrass, the information says that it can form dense colonies. Control is with glyphosate based products or fluridone. I think it would provide good cover for small YOY fish and invertebrates if it didn't get too dense.

It does seem to be Southern Watergrass, Though I'm a little surprised as the info I read shows it's of South American origin with established locals only in the Southern US areas. What seems strange is how well it tolerates the winter - even being frozen in the ice doesn't seem to bother it.

Thanks for the input esshup.