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AquaPlantA Diagnostics Tool for Pond Plants and Algae
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Creeping Burhead

Echinodorus cordifolius

Creeping Burhead Locations in North America
Creeping Burhead Locations in Southeast US
creeping burgead diagram

creeping burhead

USDA, NRCS. 2018. The PLANTS Database (http://plants.usda.gov, 28 March 2018). National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC 27401-4901 USA.
Illustration courtesy of University of Florida/IFAS Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants. Used with permission.

What is Creeping Burhead?

Physical Characteristics

Leaves:

  • Leaf stalk up to 0.75+ inches long
  • Blade egg-shaped

Flowers:

  • White
  • 0.47+ inches in diameter

Flower Stalk:

  • Leafless
  • Creeping
  • Up to 4 feet long
  • Many whorls of flowers

Fruit:

  • Small
  • Dry
  • One-seeded
  • Does not open to release seed

Stem:

  • Rough texture

Where Does it Grow?

Creeping burhead can be found in the mud and shallow water of ponds and quiet streams.

Pros and Cons of Creeping Burhead

Submerged portions of all aquatic plants provide habitats for many micro and macro invertebrates. These invertebrates in turn are used as food by fish and other wildlife species (e.g. amphibians, reptiles, ducks, etc.). After aquatic plants die, their decomposition by bacteria and fungi provides food (called”detritus”) for many aquatic invertebrates.

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Photo Credits: The majority of the aquatic plant line drawings are the copyright of the University of Florida Center for Aquatic Plants (Gainsville). They are used with permission.

Aquatic plant photographs were provided by David Bayne, Jim Davis, Kelly Duffie, Billy Higginbotham, Michael Masser, John Clayton, Chetta Owens, Diane Smith, Joe Snow, Don Steinbach, Bridget Robinson Lassiter and Peter Woods.

You may use these photos, so long as you give credit to AquaPlant.

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