Aquatic Vegetation found at lake anna

NATIVE (NON-INVASIVE) 

AND

INVASIVE (NON-NATIVE) SHORELINE PLANTS

While there are far too many aquatic plants to list, we have compiled information on 15 of the most common NATIVE species you may find here in and around Lake Anna.  Following those, you will find 4 INVASIVE species. 

NATIVE

 

Swamp Milkweed (Asclepias incarnata)

Swamp Milkweed (usda.gov)

Type: Perennial herbaceous plant.

Appearance: Swamp Milkweed has clusters of pink to mauve flowers and long, lance-shaped leaves. It can grow up to 4-5 feet tall.

Habitat: Wetlands, marshes, and along the edges of ponds.

Impact: This native plant is crucial for pollinators, especially monarch butterflies, as it serves as a larval host plant. It also provides nectar for other insects.

               Spatterdock (Yellow Water Lily) (Nuphar lutea)

Nuphar lutea ssp. advena (Common spatterdock) | Native Plants of North America (wildflower.org)

Type: Aquatic plant.

Appearance: Spatterdock has large, heart-shaped floating leaves and yellow, cup-like flowers that bloom above the water’s surface.

Habitat: Shallow waters of ponds, lakes, and slow-moving rivers.

Impact: Native and beneficial, Spatterdock provides habitat for fish and invertebrates, while its flowers are attractive to pollinators.

Arrow Arum (Peltandra virginica)

ARROW ARUM (usda.gov)

Type: Perennial herbaceous plant.

Appearance: Arrow Arum has arrowhead-shaped leaves and produces small greenish-yellow flowers surrounded by a spathe.

Habitat: Wetlands, swamps, and along pond edges.

Impact: Arrow Arum is a native plant that provides food for waterfowl and other wildlife, and its roots help stabilize soil in wet areas.

Water Willow (Justicia americana)

American Water Willow (usda.gov)

Type: Emergent aquatic plant.

Appearance: Water Willow has lance-shaped leaves and clusters of small, white to pale purple flowers with darker streaks.

Habitat: Shallow waters of rivers, streams, and lakes.

Impact: Native and important for shoreline stabilization and providing habitat for aquatic life.

Crimsoneyed Rosemallow (Hibiscus moscheutos)

Hibiscus moscheutos (usda.gov)

Type: Perennial herbaceous plant.

Appearance: Crimsoneyed Rosemallow has large, showy white or pink flowers with a crimson center and heart-shaped leaves.

Habitat: Wet meadows, marshes, and along water bodies.

Impact: This native plant is a valuable nectar source for pollinators, and its seeds are consumed by birds.

Common Cattail (Typha latifolia)

BROAD-LEAVED CATTAIL (usda.gov)

Type: Emergent aquatic plant.

Appearance: Cattails have tall, slender stems topped with a dense brown cylindrical flower spike.

Habitat: Marshes, ponds, and wetlands.

Impact: Native and beneficial for wildlife, providing food, nesting material, and habitat. However, in some areas, cattails can become overly dominant.

Common (Soft) Rush (Juncus effusus)

SOFT RUSH (usda.gov)

Type: Perennial herbaceous plant.

Appearance: Soft Rush has dense clumps of upright, cylindrical green stems and small clusters of inconspicuous brown flowers.

Habitat: Wet meadows, marshes, and along pond edges.

Impact: Native and beneficial for erosion control and providing habitat for wetland species.

Marsh-Pepper Smartweed (Persicaria hydropiper)

Persicaria hydropiper (Marshpepper knotweed, Smartweed, Water-pepper) | North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox (ncsu.edu)

Type: Annual herbaceous plant.

Appearance: Marsh-Pepper Smartweed has lance-shaped leaves, jointed stems, and small white or pinkish flowers arranged in spikes.

Habitat: Wetlands, marshes, and along streambanks.

Impact: Native and important for wildlife, as its seeds are consumed by birds and other animals.

Three-way Sedge (Dulichium arundinaceum)

USDA Plants Database

Type: Perennial sedge.

Appearance: Three-way Sedge has stiff, three-ranked leaves arranged along a central stem and produces small, inconspicuous flowers.

Habitat: Wetlands, bogs, and along water bodies.

Impact: Native and important for wetland stabilization and providing habitat for wildlife.

Spotted Water Hemlock (Cicuta maculata)

https://plants.usda.gov/home/plantProfile?symbol=CIMA2

• Type: Emergent aquatic plant (herbaceous perennial).

• Appearance: Tall, upright plant (up to 6 feet), with finely divided, fern-like leaves and clusters of small, white umbrella-shaped flowers (umbels). Stems are smooth and often purple-spotted.

• Habitat: Wetlands, marshes, and along streambanks.

• Impact: Extremely poisonous to humans and animals if ingested. Though native to North America, it poses a risk due to its toxicity. Its ecological value lies in providing some habitat, but it must be handled with care.
• 
  

American Bur-reed (Sparganium americanum)

AMERICAN BUR-REED (usda.gov)

Type: Perennial herbaceous plant.

Appearance: American Bur-reed has long, strap-like leaves and spherical clusters of greenish flowers.

Habitat: Wetlands, marshes, and shallow water.

Impact: Native and beneficial, providing habitat for aquatic species and stabilizing wet areas.

Smooth Alder (Alnus serrulata)

SMOOTH ALDER (usda.gov)

Type: Deciduous shrub or small tree.

Appearance: Smooth Alder has oval leaves with serrated edges and produces catkins and small woody cones.

Habitat: Wetlands, streambanks, and swamp edges.

Impact: Native and important for stabilizing streambanks, fixing nitrogen, and providing habitat for wildlife.

Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis)

Jewelweed (usda.gov)

Type: Annual herbaceous plant.

Appearance: Jewelweed has orange, trumpet-shaped flowers with red spots and oval, toothed leaves.

Habitat: Wetlands, streambanks, and shaded areas.

Impact: Native and beneficial for pollinators like hummingbirds and bees, and it’s known for its use in soothing skin irritation, such as from poison ivy.

Lizard’s Tail (Saururus cernuus)

USDA Plants Database

Type: Perennial herbaceous plant.

Appearance: Lizard’s Tail has heart-shaped leaves and long, drooping spikes of small white flowers.

Habitat: Marshes, wetlands, and shallow water.

Impact: Native and important for stabilizing wetlands and providing cover for aquatic species.

New York Ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis)

USDA Plants Database

Type: Perennial herbaceous plant.

Appearance: New York Ironweed has tall, upright stems with clusters of bright purple flowers atop.

Habitat: Wet meadows, marshes, and along water bodies.

Impact: Native and valuable for pollinators, especially bees and butterflies.

INVASIVE

Hydrilla (Hydrilla verticillata)

Hydrilla | National Invasive Species Information Center

Type: Submerged aquatic plant.

Appearance: Hydrilla has slender, branching stems with small, serrated leaves arranged in whorls.

Habitat: Freshwater lakes, ponds, and slow-moving rivers.

Impact: Highly invasive, forming dense mats that disrupt ecosystems, blocksunlight, and hinder water flow.

Two-Horned Water Chestnut (Trapa natans)

Two-horned Trapa (invasivespeciesva.org)

Type: Floating aquatic plant.

Appearance: Water Chestnut has triangular, serrated leaves that form a floating rosette and produces spiny fruits.

Habitat: Shallow ponds, lakes, and slow-moving rivers.

Impact: Invasive in many areas, forming dense mats that outcompete native species and obstruct water flow.

Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica)

Japanese-Honeysuckle-Fact-Sheet-Blue-Ridge-PRISM.pdf (blueridgeprism.org)

Type: Perennial vine.

Appearance: Japanese Honeysuckle has opposite, oval leaves and produces fragrant, white-to-yellow tubular flowers.

Habitat: Forest edges, wetlands, and disturbed areas.

Impact: Invasive and aggressive, outcompeting native plants and forming dense thickets.

Chinese Bush Clover (Lespedeza cuneata)

  These are not exclusively shoreline plants and can grow most anywhere.

CHINESE LESPEDEZA (usda.gov)

Type: Perennial herbaceous plant.

Appearance: Chinese Bush Clover has erect stems with small, trifoliate leaves and clusters of white to pale purple flowers.

Habitat: Grasslands, fields, and disturbed areas.

Impact: Highly invasive, displacing native plants and reducing biodiversity in areas where it becomes established.