Coontail

Ceratophyllum demersum

Coontail has a bushy, feathery appearance with:

• Slender, densely branched stems that can grow to about 8 feet long.
• Stiff, brittle leaves that grow in whorls of nine to ten and keep their shape out of water. Whorls become more densely packed toward the tips of the stems.
• No true root structure, which allows the plant to float freely in the water.

Where does coontail grow?

Coontail floats in dense masses beneath the surface of the water in:

• Quiet, freshwater areas of tributaries with moderate to high nutrient concentrations.
• Some low-salinity tidal areas, such as the Middle River in Maryland and the Potomac River near Alexandria, Virginia.

It can also grow within large beds of other SAV species or near the bottom in deep river channels.

How does coontail reproduce?

Coontail usually reproduces asexually when stem fragments with buds develop into new plants. The stem tips break off during autumn and overwinter on the bottom before growing in spring.

Sometimes sexual reproduction takes place:

• Small clusters of purple flowers between the leaves and the stem.
• The flowers bloom between July and September, followed by tiny, tough, nut-like seeds.

Other facts about coontail:

• Can be confused with Eurasian watermilfoil. You can distinguish coontail by its lack of a root system and stiff leaves that do not lose their shape when taken out of the water.
• Supplies an important food source for waterfowl and provides shade, shelter and spawning areas for some species of fish.