I have planted two types of eel grass with varying success. The first apparently was Vallisneria Americana 'Gigantea'. It had long leaves about 3/4" wide, red or brownish in color. We planted 20 one gallon pots, of which only one survived for an extended time and now it appears to be disappearing. I transplanted some of it to pots and they aren't growing either. Turtles decimate it if not caged, and even if you do in some cases.

The other variety I believe is Vallisneria Americana common. It has straight bright green leaves about 4" to 8" in length. It puts up tiny thread like stalks to the surface for tiny blooms about pin head size. I had one little bunch from an eBay buy that I potted. It sat by my dock in the lake for a couple of years doing nothing much. I finally planted it on a sandbar in the lake, caged it, and forgot about it. I checked a couple of months later and it had filled the cage up to where the turtles keep it groomed off. It seems very well behaved so I'm taking plugs of it and transplanting around the lake.

I have noted that the plants expand from their cages in the winter when the turtle activity is slow, then when spring warms the water one day it will look like someone took a weedeater to them. This happened last winter and spring to my Illinois pond weed.