How to Identify Texas Pond Weeds

American lotus are pond weeds in Texas that grow large and fast.

Ponds in Texas are used for irrigation, fish, and to add beauty to a home. Yet, when weeds occur in the pond, it can destroy irrigation, kill the fish, and appear horribly ugly, not to mention the odor that comes with it. Texas ponds need to be maintained daily to help prevent weeds from occurring. Being able to identify the pond weeds will help you determine what needs to be done to get rid of them.

Instructions

1. Examine the length and shape of the leaves of the pond weed. Texas pond weeds have leaves vary in length and are either grass-like, lance, elliptical, or round. Bulrush weeds are grass-like growing up 10-feet tall from the water while common duckweed leaves are elliptical growing up to 1/8-inches long. Alligator weed leaves are lance shaped growing up to 5 inches long. American lotus leaves are round reaching 2 feet in diameter.

2. Look at the color of the leaves of the pond weed. Texas pond weeds are dark green to a greenish purple to a bluish green. For example, bushy pondweed leaves are dark green to greenish purple while coontail and elodea leaves are dark olive green. American lotus leaves are bluish green.

3. Analyze the weed's flower. Most pond weeds of Texas have colorful flowers while few don't have any at all. Elodea weeds have three-petaled white waxy coated flowers. Cattail flowers are brown colored, appearing like cigars as they sit erect on the tip of each stem. Smart weed flowers range from greenish white to pink, blooming at the tip of the stem. Pickerel weed flowers are tubulous, 4-inch long, and purple or blue. Mosquito fern and duckweed do not have flowers.

4. Analyze the weed's fruit. Most pond weeds in Texas drop seeds, few have small podded fruit. Smart weeds have 1/8-inch long brownish black triangular shaped fruit. American lotus pond weeds have cone shaped pods that hold few seeds.

5. Observe how the weed grows. Texas pond weeds grow from the bottom of the pond, connecting all the way to the surface or grow rapidly across or above the water. For example, duckweed and mosquito ferns float on pond water, growing from short stems that also float. Chara and filamentous algae grow from the bottom of the pond, connecting to structures in the water, eventually appearing at the surface. Filamentous is thread-like while chara gives off a musky odor. Pickerel weeds and bladderwort grow from the bottom of the pond to above the water, standing from 3- to 8-feet tall.

Tips & Warnings

• Mosquito fern and duckweed are two of the most aggressive Texas pond weeds.

References

• Aquaplants