Eurasian Watermilfoil (Myriophyllum Spicatum) is native to Europe, Asia and northern Africa. It was introduced to the United States many years ago in the 1940’s. Eurasian Milfoil is an underwater plant and bears only a slight difference from US native Milfoil. Because it is an attractive plant, it was once commonly sold as an aquarium plant. The Eurasian Milfoil has 12-21 pairs of leaflets leaf and the native northern Milfoil only has 7-11 pairs of leaflets

Milfoil grows best in fertile, inorganic sediments. It prefers very active lake beds which receive nitrogen and phosphorous-laden runoff. Because of the poor seed germination, it reproduces by fragmentation. It produces fragments during the summer after fruiting once or twice. The shoots get carried away by currents or boaters. Because of its ability to spread rapidly, it often blocks out sunlight for plants native to the lakes. The dense groups can also block out larger fish, therefore disrupting the predator-prey relationship. Many waterways become congested due to these dense groups as well.

Milfoil

Milfoil Identification:

• Reddish-brown plant stem that thickens below the water and curves to lie parallel with the water surface
  

• Submersed feathery leaves
  

• Tiny 4 part flowers stick out 2 -4 inches above the water
  

• The flowers can be four petaled or without any petals
  

• The fruit is contained in a hard capsule with 4 seeds in it

Information on Eurasian Water Milfoil

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