Common Name(s): | Coontail |
Scientific Name: | Ceratophyllum demersum |
Family: | Ceratophyllaceae |
Growth Traits: | Native, perennial, warm season |
Description: A non-rooted plant that can become very abundant in a pond. There are five to 12 leaves per whorl with the leaves having four or five teeth on the underside of each leaf segment. Coontail can reproduce from seeds or plant fragments. It provides good habitat for invertebrates, which are eaten by fish and waterfowl. The plant and its fruits are eaten by waterfowl. Coontail can grow in the surface portion of relatively deep water because it is not rooted to the bottom. |
Chemical Control Options: Diquat, endothall, fluridone or 2,4-D. Fertilizing a pond to produce a phytoplankton bloom or using an aquatic dye prevents sunlight from reaching the plant and limits growth. |
Mechanical Control Options: Physically removing coontail is only temporarily effective due to its ability to come back from remaining fragments in the water. |
Biological Control Options: Diploid grass carp effectively control coontail, but the effectiveness of triploid grass carp is less certain. |