Soil & Water
1942 Old DeKalb Rd.
Canton, New York 13617

Ph: 315-386-3582
Fx: 315-386-1740

Information on Triploid Grass Carp  

General Triploid Grass Carp Information from NYS DEC

Grass Carp Plant Identification

Plants preferred by Grass Carp
Click on the plants to learn more about them.
(Larger photos below)

Thin-leafed pondweed	Curly-leaf pondweed	Floating-leafed pondweed
Watermeal	Duckweed	Common Elodea
Chara	Coontail	Watermilfoil
Naiad	Bladderwort	Water-stargrass

Plants NOT preferred by Grass Carp

Filamentous Algae	Large-leaf pondweed	Cattail
Bulrush	Arrowhead	Watershield
White Waterlily	Spatterdock

Thin-leafed pondweed (Leafy pondweed)

Leafy pondweed has narrow (about 1/16 inch wide), grass-like leaves. The sides of the leaf are generally parallel but form a pointed-tip. There are no floating leaves. Leafy pondweed grows in many pond environments but it prefers deep sediments in shallow portions of the pond. It can grow very dense and may interfere with swimming, fishing and boating on the pond.
 

Curly-leaf pondweed

Curly-leaf pondweed is a European plant that has a very distinctive appearance. The leaves are alternate with crinkled leaves that are finely toothed. It is most often found in ponds with fertile, hard water. The flower spikes often stick up above the water surface during spring. It can tolerate low light and may grow in deep water. It will often grow throughout the winter, but most frequently dies back in late summer.Leaves are alternate.

 

Floating-leafed pondweed

Floating pondweed has two types of leaves. The underwater leaves are narrow and grass-like. The floating leaves are oval to heart-shaped with a notched base. Flowers appear on a terminal spike. It can tolerate many different growing conditions in ponds.


 

Watermeal

Watermeal looks like small, light-green seeds floating on the pond. It has no true roots. Often found with duckweed in calm, backwater areas of ponds. Obtains its nutrients directly from the water so it is more common in fertile ponds with high nutrient levels.


 

Duckweed

Duckweed is very common in still areas of the pond. It has extremely small, free-floating leaves that have a single root dangling below the water surface. They often cluster together in groups of three or more. It reproduces quickly by plant division and can quickly cover areas of the pond. Even after removal if often recovers the pond quickly. It obtains nutrients directly from the water through the dangling root. As a result, it is normally found in ponds with very high nutrient levels.


 

Common elodea

Elodea has densely-whorled, dark green leaves. The leaves are usually in whorls of two to three that become more crowded toward the top of the stem. The dense tops can produce very thick growth near the water surface. Elodea may survive through the winter.


 

Chara (Muskgrass)

Chara is classified as an algae despite looking very much like a rooted aquatic plant. Its "leaves" are whorled around the stem and are often encrusted with calcium carbonate. When crushed, the plant produces a skunk-like odor. It prefers soft sediment and is usually found in hard water ponds in limestone.


 

Coontail

The leaves of coontail are whorled around the stem. Each leaflet is forked with toothed edges. The leaflets are more densely crowded around the tip of the stem giving the appearance of a racoon tail. The plant may be anchored to the bottom or more likely free-floating beneath the surface. Coontail prefers ponds with hard water. Coontail can tolerate low light conditions in deep water.


 

Watermilfoil

Eurasian watermilfoil truly has leaves that look like feathers. This exotic plant usually has a dark, reddish appearance with very long stems. Flowers develop on a terminal spike with very short leaves surrounding them; however, it usually reproduces through fragmentation. It entered PA from the Great Lakes drainage and quickly spread into all major watersheds in the state. It grows in a variety of conditions and can quickly grow to intolerable levels in a pond. It often outcompetes and replaces native pond plants. In acidic ponds of northeastern PA, native milfoil species appear to be preferred by prevailing water quality. Native milfoil species look very similar but usually have more delicate leaf structures.


 

Naiad

Naiad has whorled leaves that are narrow and toothed on the edges. There are many brances off each stem. The plant is brittle and breaks apart easily when handled. It is often found in ponds with good water quality. It completely dies off during the dormant season and regrows from seeds the following spring.


 

Bladderwort

Bladderwort lacks true roots and may float free beneath the water surface. It has characteristic tiny oval bladders near the base of finely divided leaves. It is usually found in cold ponds with acidic water. Reproduction is by winter buds. Flowers are yellow or purple.

 

Water-stargrass

Water Stargrass resembles some of the narrow-leaved pondweeds. A close examination of the leaves will show that they have several veins but no obvious midvein. It can be easily identified by a yellow, star-like flower on a terminal stem. It reproduces from plant fragments. It can grow under many pond conditions.