Brazilian Elodea

Who We Are

Minnehaha Creek Watershed District is a local unit of government responsible for managing and protecting the water resources in one of the largest and most heavily-used urban watersheds in Minnesota.

The watershed stretches 178-square miles from St. Bonifacius to south Minneapolis and includes Lake Minnetonka, the Minneapolis Chain of Lakes, Minnehaha Creek, and Minnehaha Falls. It includes eight major creeks, 129 lakes, and thousands of wetlands. Learn more about the watershed.

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Brazilian Elodea

Brazilian elodea was discovered in Powderhorn Lake in the mid-2000's, but was chemically treated and has not been found within the MCWD since.

Appearance

Submersed aquatic plant. Perennial. Can be rooted or free floating.

Leaves

Bushy appearance. Leaves in whorls of 4 to 6. Leaf edges have very small serrations that require a magnifying glass to see.

Flowers

White flowers with 3 petals are on short stalks and are visible above water. Flowers are 0.7 to 1 inch wide.

Reproduction

Spreads by plant fragments. No female plants have been reported in the United States. Since all plants are male, no seeds are produced in the US.

Note on Identification

Brazilian elodea can be easily confused with native Canada waterweed.

Brazilian elodea usually has four leaves per whorl (arranged around the stem) and each leaf is at least 2 cm long.
Canada waterweed generally has three leaves per whorl and each leaf is usually less than 1 cm long.

See the DNR's reporting invasive aquatic plants webpage if you are unsure of identification or wish to report a new location of Brazilian elodea.

Ecological Threat

Brazilian elodea is native to South America and was introduced to the United States as part of the aquarium trade. Never release aquarium plants and animals into the wild.
Brazilian elodea can form dense mats that outcompete native species and can interfere with recreational activities such as boating, swimming, and fishing.
Brazilian elodea is a regulated invasive species in Minnesota

Control Methods

Prevention: Brazilian elodea is reported in very few lakes in Minnesota (see infested waters list). By cleaning all plant parts off of boats and water-related equipment, we can prevent the spread of Brazilian elodea to additional lakes.

Mechanical or chemical: See DNR regulations for submersed aquatic plant management strategies and regulations.

Additional resources

Brazilian elodea fact sheet (Indiana DNR)
Additional photos (King County, Washington)

(Information provided by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources).