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AquaPlantA Diagnostics Tool for Pond Plants and Algae
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Elodea

Elodea canadensis

Elodea Location in North America
Elodea Location in Southeast US
Single elodea being held

elodea drawing
close up elodea
close up elodea being held

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 Elodea?

Physical Characteristics

Leaves:

  • Fairly straight
  • Gradually gets smaller as tip approaches
  • Flexible
  • Whorls of 3

Stem:

  • Mostly upward
  • 2 feet 7 inches- 4 feet 11 inches long

Roots:

  • Rooted in wet mud

Elodea is often confused with Hydrilla and Egeria. Elodea has only 3 leaves in the whorl and no midrib teeth.

Where Does it Grow?

Elodea can be found in wet mud along sluggish streams, seepage areas, and marshes.

Pros and Cons of Elodea

Elodea has no known direct food value to wildlife, but is used extensively by insects and invertebrates. 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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