Whorled watermilfoil
Myriophyllum verticillatum · Aquatic plants
Underwater · Photo: Christoph Moning / CC BY
Also called Bracted watermilfoil
How to identify Whorled watermilfoil
- Feathery leaves in whorls of 4 or 5
- Comblike bracts on the emergent flower spike are longer than the flowers
- Club shaped winter buds at the stem tips in fall
Similar plants
Northern watermilfoil has tiny entire bracts shorter than the flowers; Eurasian watermilfoil has limp leaves and many more leaflets.
Growth profile
| Growing season | Grows from winter buds in late spring, flowers in midsummer and forms new winter buds by early fall. |
|---|---|
| Starts growing | About 55 F water |
| Light | Prefers clear, shallow water |
| Depth | 1 to 6 feet |
| How it spreads | Winter buds, stem fragments and seeds |
| Habitat | Shallow, quiet water of ponds, marsh edges and lake bays, usually over soft organic mud. |
Why it matters in a lake
Rarely forms nuisance beds. Provides cover for small fish and invertebrates in shallow water.
Where it is found
- Idaho: Occasional
- Oregon: Occasional
- Wyoming: Occasional
Classification
| Kingdom | Plantae |
|---|---|
| Phylum | Tracheophyta |
| Class | Magnoliopsida |
| Order | Saxifragales |
| Family | Haloragaceae |
| Scientific name | Myriophyllum verticillatum |
Eurasian watermilfoil
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Coontail
Elodea
Sago pondweed
Leafy pondweed
Common bladderwort
White water buttercup
Slender naiadNeed a hand?
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