Maine Lakefront Property Owners Learn About Submersed Invasive Aquatic Plants

Out and About for the Sebago Lakes Region of Maine Aug. 21-27
August 20, 2014
Maine Lakefront Property Owners Recognize Aquatic Invasive Plants with Blade shaped Leaves
Maine Lakefront Property Owners Recognize Aquatic Invasive Plants with Blade shaped Leaves
August 24, 2014

Maine Lakefront Property Owners Learn About Submersed Invasive Aquatic Plants

Maine Lakefront Property Owners Learn About Submersed Invasive Aquatic Plants

 

The Range Ponds of Poland, Maine

 

 


by Leigh Macmillen Hayes
Maine lakefront property owners benefit from paying attention to the plant life in the state’s lakes and ponds. Getting to know the native plants is important — that way you’ll know if you see something different. It might be an invasive plant that crowds out native fish, depletes oxygen, hinders recreational activities and lowers tourism and property values in the long run.

 

 

 

 

 


In our second blog about invasive aquatic plants, we want to give you  information about the 4 submersed plants that have finely-divided leaves arranged on their stems. These four invaders are Fanwort, Variable Water-milfoil, Eurasian Water-milfoil and Parrot Feather.
Remember, there are some look-alikes. That’s why it’s good to learn the natives and then look at the differences in the specimens you may find.

Fanwort


Fanwort has branch-shaped leaves with opposite petioles or short stems that attach the leaves to the main stem. Jackey Bailey of Maine Volunteer Lakes Monitoring Program shakes her hands like jazz hands whenever she describes the way the branched fans appear. There are also small floating leaves. Solitary flowers are white and about a half inch wide. Each flower grows on a separate stem arising from the axils.
Fanwort can reproduce from small fragments. The stems become brittle in the late summer. At that time, plants tend to break apart, creating opportunities for it to spread. Fanwort is an aggressive colonizer. It’s not in Maine yet, but . . .

Varmilfoil-1


Variable Water-Milfoil has finely divided leaves that are arranged in whorls along the main stem. There are typically four-six leaves/whorl. The space between one set of whorls and the next is very small. Another important detail when trying to identify this plant — the stem is most often red and the leaves dark green. But . . . the stem can be green.
This plant can grow in 10-12 feet of water and create dense mats. If it’s close to shore and the water is drawn down, it can live as a small pine-like plant until the water rises again.
Also a rapid grower, variable watermilfoil produces primarily by fragmentation. Wave action from boats, swimmers and animals can cause the plant to break apart. It only takes one fragment to start an infestation of a lake or pond.

EurMilfoil


Another plant that forms dense mats is Eurasian watermilfoil. This plant has a bigger space between whorls. Three or four feather-divided leaves whorl around the stem. Toward the base of the plant, it is usually leafless. The small yellow flowers appear on spikes and stand two to four inches above the water surface.
This is a trailing plant that can reproduce from fragmented stems. New plants may also emerge from each joint along the stem, or from a root upon that comes in contact with mud.

ParFeather


And finally on our list of submersed plants that have finely-divided leaves arranged on their stems: Parrot Feather. Parrot Feather is not in Maine, YET. The stems are long and ropey. Two types of leaves appear on this plant — bright green wax-coated emergent leaves arranged in whorls around the stem and submersed leaves that may appear brown and decaying. The tiny white flowers grow in the leaf axils along the stem.
Ms. Bailey says, “If you see any plant with a feather-divided leaf, send it in for identification.”
Send suspicious plant specimens to VLMP, 24 Maple Hill Road, Auburn ME 04210
Please note: Maine does have six lake-friendly native milfoils: Alternate-flower; Farwell’s; Low; Northern; Whorled; and Dwarf, which is leafless.
To learn more about lakefront properties for sale on Middle Range Pond in Poland Spring, click on the green box above.
To learn more about Middle Range Pond and the Poland Spring area, check out these blogs:
The Range Ponds of Maine – Chain of Three, Nesting Bald Eagles, Quality Fishing
Maine Summer Vacation Treat: Poland Spring Resort

 

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