Nuisance Aquatic Plant ID

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Successful Control Starts with Positive ID

Left unmanaged, some of Missouri's aquatic plants can become nuisances in ponds. Before applying control measures, browse this list of common water plants to identify which ones are causing problems in your pond.

Once you've identified the offenders, browse the plant control pages for guidance on how to control them.

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Photo shows American lotus flower pod at Duck Creek CA
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American lotus
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Photo of several cattail flowering stalks
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Cattails
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Photo of chara, a green alga that resembles an aquatic vascular plant
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Chara (muskgrass, stonewort)
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Photo of coontail aquatic plant with penny for scale
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Coontail (hornwort, coon's tail)
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Photo of various duckweeds and watermeal on water surface
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Duckweed (watermeal)
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Green algae and dead leaves on the ground
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Filamentous algae (moss, pond scum)
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Photo of several hydrilla stems just below surface of water
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Hydrilla
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Photo of southern naiad aquatic plant with a penny for scale
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Naiads (water nymphs, water weeds)
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Photo of variable-leaf pondweed leaves floating in a muddy pond
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Pondweeds
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Photo of water lily flower pink variety
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Water lilies
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Photo of water milfoil plants along the shore of a pond
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Water milfoils
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Photo of water primrose plants with flowers
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Water primrose
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Photo of water shield leaves on pond surface with pencil for scale
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Water shield