Eurasian Watermilfoil
Myriophyllum spicatum
(Photo courtesy James Bailey/iNaturalist CC BY-NC)
Eurasian watermilfoil flowers grow on spikes that poke above the water's surface. (Maryland Department of Natural Resources)
Eurasian watermilfoil (Myriophyllum spicatum) and other bay grasses grow in the Susquehanna Flats near Havre de Grace, Md., on July 25, 2016. Milfoil is an invasive species introduced to the Chesapeake Bay. (Photo by Will Parson/Chesapeake Bay Program)
Eurasian watermilfoil has whorls of feathery leaves along long branching stems. (Photo by Matt Rath/Chesapeake Bay Program)
Eurasian watermilfoil leaves grow in whorls of 4-5. (Maryland Department of Natural Resources)
Eurasian watermilfoil is a bay grass with whorls of feathery leaves along long, branching stems. It grows in quiet fresh and slightly brackish waters throughout the Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Appearance
The Eurasian watermilfoil is made up of tough, branching stems that can grow to 8 feet long and delicate, feather-like leaves that grow in whorls of 4 to 5 along each stem. Leaves lose their shape when taken out of the water. Spikes of reddish flowers poke above the water’s surface in late summer. The plant has a rooted base.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
This grass usually reproduces asexually when stem fragments form into new plants. It can also reproduce sexually in late summer, when female flowers are pollinated through the air and produce nut-like seeds that sink to the bottom. Seeds can remain viable for years.
Did You Know?
- Eurasian watermilfoil provides good habitat for young fish, crabs and invertebrates.
- This plant was accidentally introduced in the Chesapeake Bay in the early 20th century. By the late 1950s, thick mats of Eurasian watermilfoil covered thousands of acres of the Bay and its rivers. By 1970 these large beds died back, and today the species grows in moderation.
- It can be confused with coontail. You can distinguish Eurasian watermilfoil by its feathery leaves that lose their shape when taken out of the water.
Sources and Additional Information
- Underwater Grasses in Chesapeake Bay & Mid-Atlantic Coastal Waters by Maryland Sea Grant
- Life in the Chesapeake Bay by Alice Jane Lippson and Robert L. Lippson
- Chesapeake Bay: Nature of the Estuary, A Field Guide by Christopher P. White
- Bay Grass Key: Eurasian Watermilfoil – Maryland Department of Natural Resources
- Invasive Alien Plant Species of Virginia: Eurasian Watermilfoil – Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation
- Weed Identification Guide: Eurasian Watermilfoil – Virginia Tech
- Plant Invaders of Mid-Atlantic Natural Areas: Eurasian Watermilfoil – U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service
Quick Facts
Species
Nonnative
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Size
Stems can grow to 8 feet in length
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Habitat
Common in slow-moving or protected fresh and slightly brackish waters; cannot tolerate strong waves or currents. Often grows in sandy mud.
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Range
Native to Europe and Asia; found in the upper Chesapeake Bay from the Susquehanna Flats to just north of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Grows in tributaries throughout the Bay watershed, from fresh non-tidal streams to slightly brackish tidal rivers.
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Status
Stable